- Nikita Bier, head of product at X, added then removed the account LexaproTrader from a new Starter Pack after user backlash.
- The Starter Packs feature curates influential accounts by niche and country; Bier announced the tool on X.
- Users and firms criticized LexaproTrader as a “serial scammer” and flagged past promotion of projects that later “rug pull” investors; users and others voiced concerns.
- Other Starter Packs, including a “Bitcoin Maximalists” list and a crypto founders list, also drew criticism for selections and omissions; Nic Carter and others responded publicly.
- Bier has faced recent challenges at X after removing API access for InfoFi projects and after algorithm changes increased spam and crypto posts on users’ “for you” pages. (API: application programming interface—software that lets apps communicate.)
Nikita Bier, head of product at X, added and then removed the account LexaproTrader from a new Starter Pack after users labeled the influencer a “serial scammer.” Bier announced the Starter Packs feature on X on January 21, 2026.
Bier said the company spent months curating top posters from every “niche and country” into Starter Packs to help new users find accounts to follow. The initial crypto-themed pack titled “Meme Trading” included LexaproTrader, prompting immediate criticism from crypto communities and firms, including Moonpay.
Users pointed to a pattern of the account promoting projects that later collapsed, a practice known as a “rug pull” (when developers abandon a project and take investor funds). Some replies called the inclusion a “serial scammer” and others labeled the account a “criminal,” according to public posts such as this user reply and this post.
A separate Starter Pack for “Bitcoin Maximalists” listed figures including Micheal Saylor, Jack Dorsey, Anthony Pompliano, Cathie Wood, Balaji Srinversan, Raoul Pal, Natalie Brune, and Erik Voorhees. Critics said many on the list are not true maximalists; “half of these people aren’t maxis lol” wrote Nic Carter.
Bier also posted a Starter Pack for crypto founders that users criticized for omitting figures like Vitalik Buterin and for appearing biased toward Solana-linked accounts. Replies included charges that the list was “stacked with ‘Solana folks cause they pay you’ ” and called the set “very half-baked,” as seen in public replies such as this, this, and this.
The controversy follows Bier’s recent moves at X, including removing API access for InfoFi projects to reduce bot activity and spam. Changes to the platform’s “for you” page algorithm earlier in January also appeared to boost visibility for spam and crypto posts, according to user reports.
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