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Fake subscribers: the rise of bots in online communities

Fake Subscribers | Concerns Grow Over Inactive Accounts

By

Aisha Patel

Jul 1, 2025, 02:44 PM

Edited By

Maria Silva

2 minutes estimated to read

A visual representation of bots interacting on an online forum, showing inflated subscriber counts and low engagement rates.
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A significant number of subscribers in popular crypto threads raise eyebrows as discussions fizzle out. Many speculate that extensive bot activity or dormant accounts could be inflating subscriber counts, while genuine user interaction remains minimal.

Context Behind the Numbers

Online discussions about cryptocurrency have seen a surge in subscribers but not in genuine interaction. Many threads boast impressive subscriber counts, yet posts attract only a handful of comments and votes.

Commenters emphasize various points:

  • Old Accounts: A substantial portion of subscribers are inactive, with one commenter noting, "They subscribed 8 years ago."

  • Lurking is Common: Many users confirm their presence mainly as lurkers. One shared, "A huge amount of people just read threads and don’t interact."

  • Awaiting Action: With current stagnant price movements, many users believe that once the market shifts, engagement will follow. One user mentioned, "By the time XNO starts moving, this sub will get WAY more activity."

Why This Matters

The disparity between subscriber numbers and activity can distort perceptions of a community’s health.

"The real number of people actively following this sub nowadays is around 5-15K (in views)," stated another observer. This highlights the significance of real engagement over mere follower counts.

The sentiment among commenters reflects a mix of frustration and hope. There's an acknowledgment that engaging conversations may return once market conditions improve.

Responses in the Community

Different perspectives emerged from community members:

  • Users pointed to the history of old accounts as contributing to inflated numbers.

  • Others highlighted the lack of current conversation topics as a barrier to active engagement.

  • Some remain optimistic, predicting that increased market activity will revive discussions.

Key Takeaways

  • πŸ” The subscriber count does not equate to active community engagement.

  • πŸ“‰ Estimates suggest only 5-15K are genuinely active in discussions.

  • πŸ’¬ "I lurk here quite often and have an old account," illustrates the duality of presence without participation.

Overall, this phenomenon raises questions about measuring community impact based on subscriber figures alone. As the crypto market fluctuates, time will tell if user interaction aligns with subscribers, or if this trend continues.

The Path Ahead for Online Communities

There's a strong chance that as the crypto market shifts, genuine engagement within online communities will rise as well. If price movements gain momentum, we could see a dramatic increase in active participationβ€”potentially doubling or tripling the current active figures within two to three months. Many observers estimate that once new market dynamics take over, the interaction level could reach 20K to 30K engaged participants needing a catalyst to spark these discussions. Until then, it’s likely that the disparity between subscriber counts and active discussions will persist, as many lurkers wait for a reason to jump in and contribute.

A Unique Lens on Engagement Dynamics

Looking back to the early days of social media, one might draw an intriguing parallel with the rise of platforms like MySpace. At their height, many profiles accumulated vast numbers of friends or followers, yet only a fraction engaged meaningfully, similar to the current scenario in crypto forums. As those platforms evolved, the most active communities became defined not by sheer numbers but by their ability to spark conversation and create real connections. Just like in those early social networks, today's crypto discussions depend on external factorsβ€”like market activityβ€”to truly come alive, underlining how fleeting novelty can be in the online community landscape.