The "Smartest Man Alive" Pivoting From Bitcoin to Aggressive XRP Promotion

YoungHoon Kim, the South Korean figure claiming to possess the world’s highest IQ, has become increasingly visible as an XRP advocate in recent weeks. His latest posts describe the Ripple-linked token as a “digital God”—a characterization that seems to push the boundaries of even his most fervent supporters’ patience. Community members are beginning to voice fatigue over such relentless promotion, viewing it as opportunistic engagement-farming rather than genuine conviction.

This space is about Engagement, views, replies and likes. The xrp community is massive and we tag onto anything positive we can get it seems — Northern living(secret weapon) XRP/Staple Crew mem [December 21, 2025]

Questioning the “Smartest” Claims

Kim’s assertion of holding the highest IQ ever recorded has generated considerable scientific skepticism. The core issue revolves around measurement validity: an IQ score of 276 cannot be reliably verified using standard psychometric methods. Clinically validated IQ assessments typically plateau around 160 on their scales. On the standard deviation-15 scale employed by Mensa and mainstream psychology, a score of 195 would represent odds of 1 in 8 billion—requiring a validation group larger than the entire historical human population to confirm accurately.

The Giga Society, originally founded by Paul Cooijmans to recognize individuals with 1-in-a-billion intelligence levels, has found itself at the center of controversy. Kim created what critics describe as a duplicate entity called the “Giga Society Professional.” Cooijmans has publicly denounced Kim’s organization as “fraudulent” and labeled Kim an “impostor.” Additionally, former leadership from Mensa Korea reportedly told media outlets that Kim’s scores within that organization were unremarkable by their standards.

The Bitcoin-to-XRP Pivot

For much of his tenure as a self-proclaimed “high IQ” influencer, Kim positioned himself as a Bitcoin maximalist. This narrative shifted dramatically weeks ago when he began aggressively championing XRP. By December 14, he was forecasting XRP would reach $100. The recent escalation to “engagement theology”—describing tokens as divine entities—represents a notable departure from his previous technical-focused commentary.

Current XRP Market Context:

• Price: $1.94 USD (as of January 20, 2026)
• 24-hour movement: -2.07%

The divergence between his $100 prediction and current market conditions illustrates the speculative nature of such projections, while also highlighting how influential figures in the crypto space leverage community enthusiasm for visibility and engagement metrics.