Specter Links ProveX’s January ETH Inflows to Earlier Heart-Linked Funds
Specter renews claim about ProveX inflows
On Oct. 14, on‑chain investigator Specter said that ETH sent through Tornado Cash in 2025 by wallets he links to Richard Heart later appeared in the ProveX sacrifice campaign in January 2026. Specter first made this link in a Jan. 7 analysis, which traced 128,808 ETH worth about $424 million at the time to more than 800 intermediary wallets via the mixer. The claims have not been independently confirmed.
Key details
- Specter’s Jan. 7 analysis: 128,808 ETH (~$424 million) received since Jan. 5.
- Specific route: Tornado Cash 100 ETH pool → intermediary starting 0xf94957 → 0xAFa2A89CB43619677d9C72E81f6d4c8a730a1022 (the address Heart posted for ProveX) on Jan. 5.
- Heart’s ProveX announcement published the receiving address and warned participants their coins could be sold with no benefit to them.
- Older address 0x1B7BAa734C00298b9429b518D621753Bb0f6efF2 received $26.57 million USDT and 220 ETH in Jan. 2022 from a "PulseChain: Sacrifice" wallet.
- Specter says $190 million moved to that older address in March 2022 and much of it later entered Tornado Cash.
- Heart‑linked wallets deposited over $600 million into Tornado Cash in October 2025, according to Specter’s estimate.
Related reports
The claims appear alongside a Turkish media report that Richard Heart was detained in Istanbul on an Interpol notice. The detention is unrelated to the ProveX transfers.
A 2023 U.S. SEC complaint alleged that proceeds from PulseChain passed through a private wallet, a mixer and intermediaries before financing luxury purchases. A federal judge dismissed the complaint in February 2025, and the SEC said it would not file an amended complaint.
Confirmed facts
Ethereum blockchain records show the exact transaction: Tornado Cash 100 ETH pool sent 100 ETH to an intermediary address beginning with 0xf94957 on Jan. 5 at 4:16 p.m. ET. The intermediary later sent 1 ETH and about 99 ETH to 0xAFa2A89CB43619677d9C72E81f6d4c8a730a1022.
Heart posted that receiving address in his ProveX announcement, which described the sacrifice as a political statement and included warnings about coin sales, a leaderboard, bonuses and a possible free airdrop.
Turkish media reported Heart’s detention in Istanbul on Oct. 14.
The SEC filed a 2023 complaint and the case was dismissed in February 2025.
Outstanding uncertainties
Specter’s attribution of the ProveX inflows to Heart‑linked wallets has not been independently verified.
Using a mixer like Tornado Cash obscures the link between original deposits and withdrawals, so the exact source of the funds cannot be proven.
The legal complaints against Heart remain allegations and have not resulted in findings of liability.
Why this matters
If true, the chain would show a flow of funds from earlier Heart‑linked activities into a large 2026 crypto campaign, affecting how participants view the ProveX sacrifice.
The unresolved nature of the claims highlights the difficulty of tracing funds that pass through mixers and the reliance on independent investigators’ analyses.
Next steps
No clear next steps were announced. The story continues as investigators and regulators monitor the situation.
References
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.