ChainOpera (COAI), a decentralised AI ecosystem built on the BNB Chain, has captured the crypto market’s attention after posting exceptional gains during an otherwise turbulent week. The token surged over 172% to reach an all-time high earlier this week, making it the top weekly gainer, according to CoinGecko data.
The rally comes despite the lingering market shock from “Crypto Black Friday,” a period of widespread volatility across major digital assets. ChainOpera’s impressive momentum suggested strong investor confidence and growing traction for its decentralised, agent-centric AI vision.
COAI’s price, however, has since come under pressure, sliding 23% in the past 24 hours to around $17.84 at the time of reporting. Still, the project’s short-term retracement has not overshadowed the growing scrutiny over its trading activity.
Bubblemaps Investigation Exposes Wallet Coordination
Blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps has published a detailed probe into suspicious trading activity surrounding ChainOpera’s COAI token. According to its findings, a single unidentified entity may have amassed half of the top-earning COAI wallets, collectively reaping over $13 million in profits.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Bubblemaps disclosed that its team examined the 60 most profitable COAI addresses. These wallets exhibited nearly identical trading behaviour, from their initial funding to execution patterns.
Each of the addresses reportedly received 1 BNB through Binance around 11:00 a.m. UTC on March 25 and then went on to perform thousands of automated trades using Binance Alpha, a platform often leveraged by high-frequency traders.
The repetitive, synchronised transactions prompted Bubblemaps to conclude that the wallets are either centrally managed or operating under coordinated control.
Centralised Activity Raises Transparency Concerns
While Bubblemaps clarified that no direct connection between the coordinated wallets and ChainOpera’s core team has been established, the platform described the pattern as “highly unusual” and concerning in scale.
If proven accurate, the findings could indicate an uneven profit distribution within the COAI ecosystem, contradicting the project’s ethos of decentralisation and community-driven participation. Analysts have warned that such concentrated control, particularly during periods of explosive price growth, can lead to market manipulation risks or artificial liquidity effects.
The potential presence of a single dominant actor could also undermine retail confidence, especially among new investors who entered during the recent price rally.
ChainOpera Yet to Respond to Allegations
As of press time, ChainOpera’s team has not issued an official statement addressing Bubblemaps’ claims. The project, which positions itself as a decentralised, agent-centric AI ecosystem, aims to create an open framework for developers, users and infrastructure providers to co-create and monetise AI agents collaboratively.
The COAI token serves as the network’s primary utility and governance asset, enabling participation in the project’s development, rewarding community contributions and facilitating access to AI-driven services.
Despite the controversy, many investors remain optimistic about ChainOpera’s long-term potential in the AI-integrated blockchain sector. However, the Bubblemaps revelation has intensified calls for greater transparency and on-chain accountability.
Outlook: A Test of Decentralisation Integrity
The Bubblemaps investigation underscores the growing role of blockchain forensics in ensuring market fairness and exposing potential manipulation. Whether the findings lead to regulatory scrutiny or internal reforms within ChainOpera remains to be seen.
For now, the spotlight remains on ChainOpera’s leadership to clarify the ownership structure behind the profitable wallets and reinforce its commitment to decentralisation.
As the AI-crypto fusion narrative continues to drive investor enthusiasm, the COAI case serves as a timely reminder that innovation must be matched by transparency, fairness and verifiable decentralisation, the very principles that underpin the blockchain revolution.
Leave a Reply