Over the past few days, a leaker known as Cyberleek has been continuously releasing large amounts of Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay footage. Under the guise of opposing Rockstar's alleged infringement on consumer rights, this mysterious individual has actually been soliciting "donations" through their self-issued cryptocurrency.
It turns out these donations have made Cyberleek a fortune. According to some estimates, the leaker has earned between $40,000 and $60,000 just from transaction fees, while also holding $390,000 worth of their own cryptocurrency in their wallet.
Since last Tuesday, Cyberleek has been continuously releasing batches of leaked content from Grand Theft Auto VI online. It started with maps and snippets of gameplay, exposing numerous previously unrevealed game mechanics. So far, five waves of extensive gameplay footage have been released. The latest batch featured footage of an airplane flying over Leonida, with the specific content chosen by votes from Cyberleek's audience.
The leaker has consistently used the pretext of protecting consumer rights, claiming to oppose Rockstar's decisions—namely, the $100 price tag for the Ultimate Edition and the cancellation of physical copies. In reality, they have been demanding donations through a cryptocurrency also named Cyberleek. For instance, players must purchase this currency to vote on the content of the next leak. Clearly, this model has generated substantial profits for the leaker.
On the GTA forums, user Vice Cit conducted an in-depth investigation into the matter, even delving into the dark web to uncover information. He first explained how Cyberleek set up their cryptocurrency wallet, then thoroughly analyzed the financial aspects of the entire incident.
Cyberleek initially invested $29,000 to set up the website and issue their own cryptocurrency. Since then, they have been collecting a transaction fee of 0.21% to 0.25% on each trade of the currency. On its first day, the currency's trading volume reached $15 million, generating $30,000 in fees for the leaker and recouping the entire initial investment within just 24 hours.
Vice Cit pointed out that the currency's average daily trading volume has since been around $2.1 million, earning Cyberleek approximately $4,400 per day. It is estimated that Cyberleek has already profited between $40,000 and $60,000 from transaction fees alone, not including the assets held in their cryptocurrency wallet.
Currently, the leaker's wallet holds 270 million Cyberleek tokens, valued at approximately $391,000. Although it would be difficult to cash out this entire amount at once, these tokens do hold real market value.