How Ben Armstrong turned BitBoy crypto into a brand — then lost it all

How did Ben Armstrong turn BitBoy Crypto into one of the loudest voices in crypto, and what finally caused the persona, platform, and man behind it to unravel?

Crypto’s loudest voice, silenced by the law

In March 2025, Ben Armstrong, known widely as BitBoy Crypto, became the focus of a legal and reputational collapse that had been building over several years.

Once among the most prominent figures in crypto media, Armstrong is now in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Florida, facing felony charges tied to written threats against a sitting judge.

As of June 2025, court records indicate that his case remains unresolved, with a psychiatric evaluation delaying his bail hearing until early July.

The arrest was formally logged on Mar. 25 and confirmed the next day through a statement issued by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Local coverage from multiple outlets verified the report in a live broadcast.

Four days before his arrest, Armstrong had publicly acknowledged the warrant in a post on X, saying he was “facing a warrant but fighting for justice.”

Unsealed court documents from Georgia show that Armstrong is being prosecuted under Florida Statute 836.10, facing two felony counts for making written threats to kill or injure.

The threats were reportedly directed at Judge Kimberly Childs of Cobb County’s Superior Court. Each charge carries a potential prison sentence of 5 to 10 years.

The ongoing situation has also attracted regulatory attention. In June 2024, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued a subpoena to HIT Network, Armstrong’s former media employer.

The agency is investigating undisclosed token promotions, including Armstrong’s personal involvement in multiple memecoins, that took place between 2021 and 2023. 

Despite Armstrong’s detention, updates continue to appear on his official X account. His team has been posting messages encouraging followers to share support. A pinned post dated Jun. 7 invited the public to send letters of encouragement as legal proceedings continue.

The rise of a retail-friendly influencer

Armstrong’s involvement in crypto dates back to October 2012, when he purchased 0.5 Bitcoin (BTC) at $12.50 per coin. He later referenced this early purchase in a 2019 post on X, identifying it as his entry point into the crypto space.

Before turning to crypto full-time, he operated a digital marketing business under the name Ben Armstrong Designs. During the same period, he worked with a rehabilitation center in Atlanta called Three Dimensional Life.

The transition into crypto content creation began in April 2018 with the launch of the BitBoy Crypto YouTube channel. 

The platform grew steadily and surpassed 1 million subscribers by early 2022. Viewer engagement was consistently high, with estimated monthly watch hours reaching over 1.5 million.

Armstrong expanded his presence by partnering with a range of blockchain companies, including promotional deals with Binance and several smaller crypto projects.

His content strategy combined daily market updates, token reviews, and sponsored videos, distributed across platforms such as X and Telegram. 

The model reflected the rise of the influencer economy in crypto, where visibility and reach translated directly into revenue opportunities.

During this period, Armstrong’s public image remained largely positive. His consistent posting schedule and beginner-friendly tone helped him build a loyal audience, positioning him as a familiar voice in an increasingly crowded content space.

Bitboy’s reputation in freefall

Concerns about Armstrong’s business practices began to surface more prominently in early 2023.

In March, a Reddit post leaked what appeared to be his promotional rate card. The post alleged that Armstrong charged $40,000 for YouTube reviews, $20,000 for mentions on X, and $10,000 for Telegram promotions.

The leak renewed scrutiny around several crypto projects he had promoted, many of which later collapsed or faced regulatory action.

These included DISTX, which shut down in May 2023 with reported investor losses of $1.2 million; HEX, labeled a Ponzi scheme by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in June 2023; and SAFEMOON, which was charged with fraud by U.S. regulators in November 2023.

On-chain data from Etherscan also showed that insider wallets moved 8 million SAFEMOON tokens shortly after Armstrong publicly endorsed the project.

In June 2023, Armstrong launched his own meme token called BEN. The token reached a peak price of $0.000011 by July 1 but declined to around $0.0000067 by the end of the year, a loss of more than 85%. Data from Nansen indicated that 12.3 million tokens were offloaded by early holders during the downturn.

In August 2023, blockchain researcher ZachXBT published an investigation detailing millions in undisclosed promotional payments tied to Armstrong.

The report highlighted two projects, MYX and LOCK, both of which were abandoned within weeks of promotion. Investor losses from those two alone were estimated at over $1 million, based on data compiled by community analysts.

Armstrong’s role at HIT Network officially ended in August 2023. An internal memo cited gross misconduct, referencing a July incident during which he appeared visibly intoxicated while livestreaming. Subscriber data from Social Blade showed a loss of 150,000 followers in the week that followed.

Financial records later leaked to the media showed a revenue decline from $500,000 per month in 2022 to $50,000 by November 2023. In December 2024, reports stated that Armstrong owed HIT Network $250,000 in outstanding obligations.

The cost of staying relevant

Between early 2024 and early 2025, Ben Armstrong’s public and private life became increasingly unstable, shaped by legal pressure, financial strain, and growing media exposure.

In February 2024, he participated in a boxing match in Mexico City during a Karate Combat event, where he faced off against memecoin promoter Carlos “More Light” Rodriguez. 

The event attracted attention on X and triggered rapid price fluctuations in several tokens. BEN briefly surged by nearly 90%, while HarryPotterObamaSonic10Inu dropped over 20% within hours.

Both tokens saw steep declines shortly afterward. Combined, they lost several million dollars in market value within days. 

In March 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a public advisory warning investors about the risks of influencer-led token events and short-term promotional campaigns.

Armstrong’s personal challenges deepened during this period. In January 2025, his divorce was finalized in Fulton County, Georgia, following a year-long separation. 

Court documents showed $180,000 in unpaid alimony and child support. A GoFundMe campaign launched in December 2024 raised $14,800 from 1,350 donors, citing legal and medical expenses as its purpose.

Legal issues escalated in March 2025, when Armstrong was arrested outside his partner’s residence in Deltona, Florida. Law enforcement records described a domestic dispute. He was charged in a separate case involving felony threats against a judge.

What began as a well-timed entry into Bitcoin for Armstrong eventually grew into a multi-million-dollar media platform.

Over time, the pressure to remain visible overtook the motivations that once grounded his work. Promotions became entangled with financial risk, content blurred into personal conflict, and public trust eroded under mounting legal and reputational damage.

In the end, Armstrong’s story is less about crypto misadventures and more about what influence without restraint can become in an ecosystem still learning where its boundaries should be.