Popular crypto YouTuber Alex Becker’s own disclaimer reveals classic manipulation tactics – promising massive gains while admitting 85-95% of followers lose money. This analysis demonstrates The Method in action, showing how to spot and decode influencer schemes.
Introduction: When Influencers Tell You Exactly How They’ll Scam You
On May 24, 2025, crypto YouTuber Alex Becker posted a video titled “TRUMP DID IT! These 7 Cryptos Will 20x In June” – another typical promise of massive crypto gains. But buried in his video description and throughout his 31-minute presentation is something remarkable: a detailed confession of exactly how he manipulates his audience.
Most people skip disclaimers and don’t analyze what influencers actually say versus what they promise. That’s a mistake. These sources often contain the most honest information you’ll get from any influencer – because legal requirements force them to reveal their real intentions.
Here is a link to the video (WARNING: It is extremely manipulative – don’t get fooled!)
This article demonstrates The Method in action, using Becker’s own words to show how crypto influencers operate and how you can protect yourself from similar schemes. We’ll walk through each step of The Method, showing you exactly how to decode manipulation tactics that might otherwise seem convincing.
What you’ll learn:
- How to apply The Method to real-world influencer content
- Why disclaimers reveal more than promotional content
- How to spot manipulation patterns across different schemes
- Practical steps to protect yourself from financial predators
The Method: A Quick Overview
Before analyzing Becker’s content, let’s review The Method – a simple framework for cutting through manipulation and seeing clearly:
- Step 1: Notice the Hook – What feeling is being triggered?
- Step 2: Find the Beneficiary – Who profits if you believe this?
- Step 3: Check the Pattern – Is this outlier being sold as normal?
- Step 4: Test One Piece – Verify one specific claim independently
- Step 5: Universal Test – If everyone did this, would it still work?
- Step 6: Decide Without Emotion – What choice makes sense now?
Now let’s apply this systematic approach to Becker’s crypto promotion.
Step 1: Notice the Hook – Emotional Triggers in Action
The Promise: “The biggest bull in history is starting. This is where the biggest gains will be.”
Emotional hooks identified:
- FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): “biggest bull in history” implies once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
- Greed: Promise of “20x” returns (2,000% gains)
- Urgency: “You barely have time, and I mean barely. I’m talking days, maybe a week”
- Authority: Reference to Trump suggests insider political knowledge
- Exclusivity: “Even tomorrow could be too late with the movement we’re about to see”
Direct quote from video: “Even tomorrow could be too late with the movement we’re about to see. ETH is just teetering, teetering. As soon as it moves past 3,000, this is going to be closed up.”
The Method reveals: When someone triggers multiple strong emotions simultaneously while creating artificial time pressure, they’re likely manipulating rather than informing. Legitimate investment advice doesn’t require emotional urgency or claims that waiting one day ruins everything.
Red flag: Notice how Becker promises specific gains (20x) in a specific timeframe (June) while simultaneously claiming extreme urgency. This is classic fortune-telling disguised as analysis.
Step 2: Find the Beneficiary – Who Really Profits?
Becker’s own admission: “I of course want these coins to go up and have incentive to talk about them.”
How Becker profits revealed:
- Direct holdings: “I have multiple, multiple eight figures in the market right now”
- Paid advisor roles: “Part of my fund is advising crypto start ups, thus I am a paid advisor for many projects I discuss”
- YouTube revenue: Views and engagement from promotional content
- Advance selling: “I PLAN TO SELL ALL MY COINS AT SOME POINT. I WILL NOT ANNOUNCE IT”
- Personal meme coin: “My meme coin is going to be dropping at $3,500 eth”
- Subscriber manipulation: Whitelist preference for people who like and subscribe to his videos
Key quote: “I will be selling at your expense JUST like you would do to me if you saw a good chance to sell.”
The Method reveals: Becker has multiple financial incentives to promote these coins, regardless of whether they benefit his audience. His profit comes from:
- Viewers buying coins he already owns (driving up his portfolio value)
- Selling his holdings to viewers at higher prices
- Getting paid by crypto projects to promote their tokens
- Profiting from his own meme coin launch
Key insight: When someone admits they’ll profit “at your expense” while giving you investment advice, their incentives aren’t aligned with your success.
Step 3: Check the Pattern – Are Success Stories Normal?
Becker’s honest admission: “USUALLY 85-95%+ of people that try crypto LEAVE IN LOSS. If you are new to this your chances of leaving in profit are EXTREMELY low.”
But then he immediately contradicts himself: “If you’re new to crypto right here, like I love you but you’re truly late… you thinking you’re going to come into the space against people that have been doing this for a decade and walk away like with some well executed high risk place is nonsense.”
Pattern recognition:
- Survivorship bias exposed: Success stories are extreme outliers, not typical results
- Mathematical reality: If 85-95% lose money, crypto is worse than casino gambling
- Cognitive dissonance: Admits newcomers will lose, then spends 30 minutes telling them what to buy
The Method reveals: When 85-95% of participants lose money, that’s not an investment – it’s a wealth transfer system from newcomers to insiders like Becker.
Comparison to legitimate investments:
- Stock market: 70-80% of investors make money over 10+ year periods
- Real estate: 85%+ of property owners see appreciation over time
- Crypto (per Becker): 85-95% lose money
Step 4: Test One Piece – Verify Specific Claims
Claim to test: “These 7 Cryptos Will 20x In June”
Becker’s own contradictory statements:
- On certainty: “No one knows what the market’s going to do. And I don’t offer you any form of certainty whatsoever.”
- On odds: “I think there’s a 50/50 chance that we see a altcoin market like we saw in 2020”
- On his track record: “I kind of suck at this. I’ve made a lot of money, but Ive lost a bunch of money too in bad coins”
- On the coins he promotes: “These coins WILL crash hard at the end of the run”
Reality check: Becker admits he has a 50/50 success rate, doesn’t know what markets will do, and the coins he promotes will crash – yet his title promises specific 20x gains in June.
The Method reveals: When someone admits uncertainty and poor track record while making specific predictions, they’re prioritizing attention and profit over accuracy.
Step 5: Universal Test – What If Everyone Did This?
The scenario: What if everyone followed Becker’s advice and bought the coins he recommends?
Becker’s roulette admission: “If this is a roulette table, what I’m telling you right here is that I don’t know where the ball is going to land. I do know if the ball lands on red, we’re betting red here.”
Mathematical reality:
- Who provides the 20x gains? If everyone buys, who’s left to buy at higher prices?
- Selling logistics: If everyone tries to sell when coins “20x,” who buys?
- Becker’s advantage: “I will be selling at your expense JUST like you would do to me”
The Method reveals: Becker explicitly frames this as gambling while admitting he’ll sell to his audience. The strategy only works if most people DON’T follow it successfully. He needs a constant stream of new buyers to sell to – classic pyramid structure.
Key insight: Any investment strategy that the promoter describes as “50/50 roulette” isn’t actually an investment strategy – it’s a casino game where the house (Becker) has advance information.
Step 6: Decide Without Emotion – Clear-Headed Analysis
Removing emotional hooks, what remains?
The facts:
- Becker admits 85-95% of his followers lose money
- He describes his advice as “50/50 roulette”
- He plans to sell his coins without warning his audience
- He’s paid by crypto projects to promote their tokens
- He admits his track record includes significant losses
- He admits the coins he promotes will “crash hard”
- He’s launching his own meme coin and manipulating subscribers to promote it
Direct quote on the nature of his advice: “This is intense, high level gambling… Everything in crypto is financial suicide.”
Logical conclusion: This is not investment advice – it’s a wealth transfer mechanism from viewers to Becker and his business partners, explicitly described by Becker himself as “financial suicide.”
Decision without emotion: Avoid this scheme entirely. Someone who admits most followers lose money while describing their own advice as “financial suicide” is not providing valuable investment guidance.
Advanced Manipulation Techniques Revealed
The “Honest Disclaimer” Trick
How it works: By admitting the risks in small print, Becker creates an illusion of honesty while continuing the harmful behavior.
Psychological effect: Viewers think “At least he’s honest about the risks” and feel more trusting, even though the disclaimer proves the scheme is harmful.
Example: “Please read the disclaimer. It is so deadly serious. This is not financial advice. Turn off this channel right now. Slap yourself for even looking at it. Financial suicide. You’re going to lose all your money.”
Then immediately: “All right, so look, what we’re going to try and trade to get rich on this channel…”
The Method perspective: Actions matter more than disclaimers. If someone admits their advice usually causes losses but keeps giving it, they’re prioritizing their profit over your wellbeing.
The “We’re All Gambling Together” Frame
Becker’s framing: “I am GAMBLING on this market and hoping it works out.”
Why this works: Makes viewers feel like equal partners in risk-taking rather than marks in a scheme.
Reality: Becker has massive advantages – advance information, paid partnerships, ability to sell without warning his audience, and “multiple eight figures” already invested.
The Method reveals: When someone with insider advantages frames unequal competition as “we’re all gambling together,” they’re obscuring their structural advantages.
The False Intimacy Strategy
Language patterns: “I love you,” crude humor, insider references
Specific examples: “You five foot two neckbeards,” “you sick fucks,” “you probably never touched a woman”
Purpose: Creates parasocial relationship where viewers feel personally connected to Becker despite his insults.
Manipulation: People are less likely to think critically about advice from someone they feel emotionally connected to, even when that connection is built on shared crudeness.
The Method protection: Judge advice by results and incentives, not by how much you like the advisor’s personality.
The Wealth Display Manipulation
Becker’s claims: “Multiple, multiple eight figures in the market,” references to expensive studios, wealth displays
Purpose: Creates false authority through apparent success
Reality check: If someone has “multiple eight figures,” why do they need YouTube ad revenue and course sales?
The Method insight: Real wealth builders rarely need to constantly advertise their success to strangers.
Red Flags to Watch For in Any Influencer Content
Based on our analysis of Becker’s tactics, here are warning signs that apply to any financial influencer:
1. Extreme Return Promises Combined with Risk Admissions
- Specific percentage gains (20x, 100x) in titles
- Disclaimers admitting “financial suicide”
- Contradictory statements about certainty vs. specific predictions
2. Artificial Urgency
- “Days, maybe a week” timeframes
- “Even tomorrow could be too late”
- “Last chance before it takes off”
3. Misaligned Incentives
- Promoting investments they own
- Paid partnerships with promoted companies
- Revenue from promoting rather than from investment success
- Launching their own competing products
4. Statistical Dishonesty
- Admitting 85-95% lose money while continuing to promote
- Only showing success stories
- Describing advice as “gambling” while promising specific gains
5. Parasocial Manipulation
- Crude humor to build false intimacy
- Insider language and community building
- Subscription bribes for “exclusive” opportunities
How to Protect Yourself: Practical Applications
Before Following Any Financial Influencer
Ask these questions:
- How do they make money? (Fees, commissions, ownership stakes?)
- What’s their actual track record? (Not just highlights, but overall results)
- What percentage of their followers profit from their advice?
- Do they have advance information their audience doesn’t?
- Would their strategy work if everyone followed it?
- Do they contradict themselves between disclaimers and promotional content?
Red Flag Checklist
Immediate warning signs:
- Promises specific returns in specific timeframes
- Uses emotional urgency or FOMO tactics
- Owns or is paid to promote what they recommend
- Disclaimers admit poor track records or describe advice as “gambling”
- Targets beginners despite admitting they usually lose
- Plans to sell without warning followers
- Uses crude humor or insults to build false intimacy
- Contradicts disclaimers with promotional content
Better Alternatives for Financial Education
Legitimate sources:
- Fee-only financial advisors (no commissions)
- Academic research from universities
- Historical market analysis from regulatory bodies
- Books by successful long-term investors (not traders)
Key difference: Legitimate educators profit from teaching, not from your investment decisions.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
The Scale of Influencer Financial Manipulation
Alex Becker isn’t unique – he’s part of a massive industry of financial influencers who profit by giving advice that benefits them at their followers’ expense.
Common patterns across platforms:
- Crypto YouTubers promoting coins they own
- Trading course sellers whose main income is course sales, not trading
- “Passive income” gurus whose income comes from selling courses, not passive investments
- Real estate “experts” who profit from referrals and course sales
The Psychological Sophistication
Modern financial manipulation has evolved beyond simple scams:
Old scams: “Send money, get rich quick” New manipulation: Complex content mixing entertainment, education, and exploitation
Becker’s sophistication:
- Admits risks to seem honest while continuing harmful behavior
- Uses crude humor to build parasocial connections
- Frames gambling as investment to normalize losses
- Creates artificial urgency while admitting uncertainty
Why Traditional Financial Advice Falls Short
Most people get financial advice from sources that profit from their decisions:
- Commission-based advisors: Profit from selling products
- Bank representatives: Profit from bank products
- Insurance salespeople: Profit from policy sales
- Social media influencers: Profit from promoting whatever pays them
The Method alternative: Learn to evaluate financial information independently, without relying on potentially compromised sources.
Building Real Financial Security
Evidence-based approaches:
- Low-cost index fund investing: Historically reliable long-term growth
- Dollar-cost averaging: Reduces timing risk through regular investments
- Emergency fund building: Security before speculation
- Skill development: Increase earning potential through education
- Debt reduction: Guaranteed “return” by eliminating interest payments
Why these work: Based on decades of data, not promotional claims or emotional manipulation.
Conclusion: The Method in Action
Alex Becker’s content provides a perfect case study in financial manipulation because he’s unusually honest about his intentions while continuing the harmful behavior. Most influencers hide their conflicts of interest – Becker admits them openly while using sophisticated psychological techniques to maintain his audience.
What The Method revealed:
- Emotional manipulation: FOMO, greed, and artificial urgency
- Misaligned incentives: Multiple ways Becker profits from viewer losses
- Statistical dishonesty: Promoting to beginners despite 85-95% loss rate
- Logical impossibility: Strategies that can’t work if widely adopted
- Advance advantage: Insider information and ability to sell without warning
- Psychological sophistication: False intimacy and gambling normalization
The contradiction at the heart of his content: Describes his advice as “50/50 roulette” and “financial suicide” while promising specific 20x gains and encouraging immediate action.
The broader lesson: When someone admits that following their advice usually results in losses but continues giving that advice while profiting from it, they’re prioritizing their profit over your wellbeing. No amount of crude humor, false intimacy, or honest disclaimers makes this ethical.
Practical takeaway: Use The Method’s systematic approach to analyze any financial advice before acting on it. Emotional appeals, misaligned incentives, and statistical manipulation are everywhere in financial media – but they’re easy to spot once you know what to look for.
Final thought: The best financial influencers are the ones who teach you to think independently, not the ones who tell you what to buy while admitting most followers lose money. If someone’s advice makes you dependent on them for future decisions while they profit from your losses, they’re building a customer, not educating a student.
Apply The Method to any financial advice you encounter, and you’ll quickly separate legitimate education from sophisticated manipulation.
Want to learn more about applying The Method to other areas of life? Subscribe to our newsletter for practical guides on critical thinking, manipulation detection, and independent decision-making.
Related Articles:
- Why Crypto Is Not an Investment: A Complete Analysis
- How to Spot Investment Scams: A Critical Thinking Guide
- The Psychology of Get-Rich-Quick Schemes