From Bitcoin Advocate to XRP Promoter: The IQ Controversy Behind the Aggressive Marketing Campaign

YoungHoon Kim, the South Korean individual claiming the world’s highest intelligence quotient, has shifted his focus dramatically—and the cryptocurrency community is beginning to show signs of fatigue from his relentless promotional efforts targeting XRP (瑞波币).

The Shift in Narrative

Kim’s reputation was built on Bitcoin maximalism during his early tenure as a self-proclaimed “high IQ” influencer. However, roughly three weeks ago, his public stance underwent a transformation. He began aggressively promoting XRP, the digital asset associated with Ripple, with increasingly bold price predictions. By mid-December, Kim forecast that XRP would reach the $100 mark—a dramatic departure from his previous positions.

The promotional intensity has escalated further. Recently, Kim described XRP as a “digital God,” a characterization that has drawn mixed reactions even from within the project’s dedicated supporter base. Community members have begun expressing skepticism about the constant stream of promotional messaging, with some viewing it as an engagement strategy rather than genuine advocacy.

Questioning the ‘Highest IQ’ Claim

The foundation of Kim’s influence rests on a contested assertion: that his intelligence quotient reaches 276. This figure has attracted substantial criticism from the scientific community. Standardized IQ testing has inherent limitations—clinically validated assessments typically plateau around 160. Beyond this threshold, reliable measurement becomes mathematically and methodologically problematic.

On the standard deviation 15 scale employed by Mensa and most psychologists, an IQ of 195 would represent an occurrence of approximately 1 in 8 billion individuals. Validating such a score would theoretically require a norming population exceeding the total number of humans who have ever lived.

The Giga Society, originally established by Paul Cooijmans to recognize individuals with exceptional cognitive abilities (1 in a billion rarity), has become a point of contention. Kim allegedly created a similar organization called the “Giga Society Professional.” Cooijmans has publicly characterized Kim’s organization as “fraudulent” and labeled Kim an “impostor.” Additionally, a former Mensa Korea chairperson reportedly informed media outlets that Kim’s scores within that organization were not considered “exceptional” by professional standards.

The Social Media Engagement Factor

The cryptocurrency market appears to recognize a pattern: constant promotional cycles generate views, engagement, and community interaction. What was once positioned as intellectual authority has increasingly resembled calculated content optimization designed to maximize social platform metrics rather than convey substantive analysis.

As of January 12, 2026, XRP trades at $2.05, reflecting a 24-hour decline of 2.19%. Whether such price movements correlate with promotional cycles or broader market dynamics remains an open question for participants monitoring the space.