- Who is he: An Austrian doctor turned crypto entrepreneur, author, and YouTuber who built his wealth and fame on Bitcoin through TenX and Keke DeFi (later Cooking).
- What he did: At the beginning of 2025 he got out of most of his crypto positions, although he shorted Bitcoin, and rotated in the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ).
- When you stop now: One of the biggest skeptics of Bitcoin in the German-speaking world, he calls crypto “a good idea.”
- Why critics are angry: He says that someone who made a fortune on Bitcoin and once promoted it as a lifetime asset is now afraid to make a profit – pointing to his history with TenX, the BaFin investigation, and the collapse of DeFiChain.
- Why supporters defend him: He says he simply updated his mind with new information and re-invested his portfolio – exactly what good investors do.
Who Is Julian Hosp?
Julian Hosp is an Austrian doctor who became a crypto entrepreneur, best-selling author, and YouTube personality after initially buying Bitcoin. He is one of the most famous – and polarizing – figures in the German-speaking crypto scene. A former competitor, he has also set himself the goal of making people “cryptofit,” publishing widely read books and creating a large following on YouTube and X.
The decade itself has been overshadowed by recurring conflicts. Hosp’s name is associated with a series of high-profile projects that caused great interest – and, for many of those who sold them, painful losses.
Julian Hosp: Essentials
- Full name: Dr. Julian Hosp
- History: Austrian doctor and former competitive kitesurfer
- Known for: Co-founding TenX (2017), Cake DeFi / Baking, and DeFiChain (DFI); best-selling crypto books; The biggest YouTube and X followers
- It works in crypto since: ~2015 (bought Bitcoin early)
- Key points of contention: TenX ICO is coming out in 2019; BaFin’s investigation into Cake DeFi (2022); Fall of the DeFiChain (DFI) token; Legal dispute with co-founder U-Zyn Chua
- Pivot for 2025: He pulled out of most crypto markets, shorted Bitcoin for a while, moved to QQQ, declared crypto “good idea”
- Current position: Bitcoin skeptic, developer, paid education (“Inner Circle”)
What is TenX, Keke DeFi, and DeFiChain?
TenX, Cake DeFi (later Bake), and DeFiChain are three crypto strategies that define the history of Julian Hosp – and all of them ended in controversy or huge losses for investors. To understand the current debate, you need to understand the history.
- TenX (2017): Hosp is known as the co-founder and president of TenX, a crypto payment project that raised about $80 million in an ICO in 2017. The product did not deliver on its expectations, the card program was disrupted, and Hosp left in January 2019 after an internal dispute. Some industry critics have called it a scam — something Hosp denies.
- Cake DeFi / Baking: After TenX, Hosp co-founded Keke (later renamed Bake) with U-Zyn Chua, a provider of financing, lending, and coin mining. In January 2022, the German financial regulator BaFin opened an investigation, claiming that the company was operating in Germany without the necessary license.
- DeFiChain (DFI): The blockchain connected with Cake / Baking. Its index fell sharply from its December 2021 peak, leaving many residents underwater.
Keke’s head ended painfully. Co-founder U-Zyn Chua filed to liquidate the company at the end of 2023 amid shareholder disputes, and to report at the time detailing the company’s financial management and spending – said Hosp’s side disputed. Bake was eventually sold to a subsidiary of GSTechnologies, and Hosp indicated that he would leave the crypto scene.
Hosp has long argued against the aggressive setting of these events, citing market failures, partnerships, or corporate turmoil rather than wrongdoing.
Why Is Julian Hosp Controversial Now?
The current debate stems from Julian Hosp’s original 2025 proposal to leave crypto, short Bitcoin, and enter stocks (QQQ) – after years of promoting Bitcoin as an exchange. The flashpoint is not a failed operation; and the pivot itself.
At the beginning of the year 2025, Hosp announced that it exited most of its crypto positions, at one point even though it was going slowly, and rotated into other asset classes, especially the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ). They created crypto as having real-world utility and called it “fiction.”
Since then, he has been one of the most skeptical of Bitcoin in the German language space. Through 2025 to 2026 he repeatedly warned of a major decline – in various floating points of Bitcoin falling to $20,000-$30,000 or lower – when he pointed to structural problems such as the weakness of institutions, the risk of computer overload, and dependence on very few buyers like Michael of Stragy. He added that since he traded in late January 2025, his portfolio led by QQQ has outperformed Bitcoin with less volatility and risk volatility.
For a man who made his fortune and fame on $Bitcoin, this change is what lit the fuse.
What Are People Really Saying?
The debate has played out publicly on X, where critics accuse Hosp of fraud and ingratitude, while Hosp denounces them as bitter “Bitcoin socialists” who missed his calls. The exchange falls neatly into two camps.
Defendant, sending as mpp.ethsummed up the anger that many long-time followers feel. In short: Hosp went from kitesurfer and doctor to crypto millionaire because he bought Bitcoin early and built TenX and Keke with it – and without Bitcoin “he would probably still be a surgeon in Innsbruck.” Instead of appreciating, the plaintiff says, Hosp now dumps Bitcoin in almost every video, scares people, and plays a “sensitive alarmist.” The case: this is not serious thinking, it is ungrateful and fraudulent – and someone who would not be without Bitcoin should not destroy the access of those who are still trying to enter.
Is Julian Hosp A Scam Or A Smart Dealer? Two Ways to Count
- There is no consensus: some see Hosp as a savvy investor who legitimized crypto, while others see him as narcissistic, selfish given his reputation. Reasonable people are on opposite sides.
- The view is that they “did nothing wrong”. During this reading, Hosp did what any entrepreneur should do: he found an opportunity early, capitalized, and reinvested when his mind changed. Selling assets and moving to something you believe is better isn’t cheating – it’s improving reputation. He is said to have been transparent about both buying and selling, both publicly and in real time. Being early in Bitcoin and being careful later is not contradictory; and the shape of the change. No one is forced to be loyal to the economy forever, and changing your mind with new knowledge is part of good investing, not a character flaw.
- The “narcissistic and harmful” aspect. The opposition camp sees something more worrying. For these critics, Hosp spent many years promoting Bitcoin as a long-term asset, life-changing, building trade and private label on that promise, he benefited himself – and then turned to publicly discredit what made him, in ways that read as fear-like in order to sell his products and webinars. The above is its history: TenX, the BaFin investigation, and the collapse of Cake / DeFiChain and legal battles. To investors who lost money following his initial enthusiasm, the pivot reads as selfish and arrogant rather than logical. The tone of his criticism – denouncing the opposition as “socialists” and “whiners” – reinforces that attitude towards them.
What is the Takeaway at Julian Hosp?
Whether Julian Hosp is a shrewd investor who timed his exit or a flashy guy who profited from climbing the ladder depends on how much weight you give his record against his returns. His story dwells on the fault line that runs through all of crypto: the difference between influence and trade, between changing your mind and letting go of people who believe in you.
What is not in dispute is that he remains one of the most watched voices in the space – and that his skepticism of Bitcoin, right or wrong, will continue to cause controversy for as long as he continues to post.
Frequently Asked Questions About Julian Hosp
Who is Julian Hosp?
Julian Hosp is an Austrian doctor turned crypto entrepreneur, writer, and YouTuber, best known for founding TenX and Cake DeFi (Cooking) and being a prominent critic of Bitcoin after it exits crypto in 2025.
What happened to TenX?
TenX raised nearly $80 million in a 2017 ICO for crypto payment cards, but the product failed to meet its goals. Hosp left in January 2019 after an internal dispute, and the project appears to have failed.
Why did Julian Hosp leave Bitcoin?
Hosp said he exited most of his crypto holdings in early 2025 — despite Bitcoin’s temporary decline — because he saw a decline in real-world assets and saw the market as “fantasy.” They moved into other asset classes, particularly the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ).
Has Cake DeFi been audited?
Yes. In January 2022, the German financial regulator BaFin announced an investigation into Keke DeFi operating in Germany without the necessary authorization.
Is Julian Hosp a scam?
There is no agreement, and no verdict of guilty has been established in the events that are discussed publicly. Critics point to his history (TenX, the BaFin investigation, the collapse of DeFiChain) and accuse him of selfish behavior; His supporters argue that he is a transparent investor who just changed his ways. Readers should do their own research and make up their own minds.
What is Julian Hosp doing now?
He continues to publish crypto and macro commentary on YouTube and X, runs paid courses, and remains a Bitcoin skeptic while favoring technical innovations such as QQQ.
