Epic! A presidential election led by $BTC traders, the "hybrid war" of the digital age has begun on your phone.

Overlooking the red-topped houses and church balconies in Brașov, a 36-year-old $BTC trader lives there. In the real world, his name is Bogdan Peschir; on TikTok, he’s known as the “Tip King” Bogpr with nearly 200,000 followers. He enjoys watching live streams and sending valuable virtual gifts to creators who perform astonishing acts, ranging from a few cents to hundreds of dollars. His continuous spending has unlocked the platform’s top-tier virtual gifts, including an animated flying Pegasus.

Romanian prosecutors believe this seemingly harmless influence has powerful effects. They arrested Peschir, accusing him of using money and reputation to help a far-right candidate make a comeback in the November 2024 presidential election. The candidate, Călin Georgescu, had only 1% support in polls three weeks before voting but secured 22.9% of the votes in the first round.

Three days after the election results were announced, Romania’s Supreme Defense Council declared the vote was subject to external interference. Declassified intelligence reports point to “state actors,” with Germany and the U.S. directly implicating Russia. The entire operation was mainly carried out on TikTok. Tens of thousands of fake accounts created the illusion of Georgescu’s popularity, with the hashtag #calingeorgescu being viewed 73.2 million times in seven days—an unprecedented level of engagement for a country with a population of 19 million.

Prosecutors say Peschir was a key part of the plan. He redirected virtual gifts to promote creators supporting Georgescu and liked and commented on related content. In messages, he wrote, “I’m doing my best to give him more exposure.” Investigations show that in the last 31 days before the election, he sent gifts worth $381,000 to accounts supporting Georgescu, which the government classified as undeclared illegal campaign donations.

Peschir firmly denies all charges. He claims he simply enjoys tipping and happens to be a fan of Georgescu. “No one can control me except God,” he emphasized in an email. His lawyer pointed out that Peschir also sent gifts to supporters of Georgescu’s opponents and clarified that tipping was not a political transaction.

In December 2024, Romania’s Constitutional Court invalidated the election results, citing “opaque use of digital technology and artificial intelligence” and undeclared campaign funds, banning Georgescu from running in the May 2025 rerun. This unprecedented decision sparked intense controversy across Romanian society.

Deeper investigations reveal a more complex picture. Romanian President Nicușor Dan publicly stated in October 2025 that all interference could be traced back to Russia. The earliest actions date back to 2019, when a Russian company began profiling Romanians socially. Soon after, numerous Facebook groups focused on alternative medicine, religion, and recipes emerged to test different messaging strategies.

Analysis indicates that Russian digital marketers ultimately targeted narratives related to identity, nostalgia, conspiracy theories, and religion—topics that resonate deeply with Romanians. As the election approached, these groups began flooding social media with content supporting Georgescu.

On TikTok, a Telegram group called Propagatorcg became a hub for distributing propaganda materials, guiding volunteers on using specific hashtags and editing techniques to deceive platform algorithms. Subsequently, about 25,000 previously dormant accounts suddenly became active, mimicking real user behavior, engaging wildly with content supporting Georgescu, and pushing him to the ninth spot on global trending.

Peschir’s case is part of a larger investigation. Authorities found about $7 million in his $BTC account, which they believe is inconsistent with his income level, though current charges do not involve the source of funds. Peschir claims to be a full-time $BTC trader, mainly investing on public decentralized platforms.

Although Georgescu was disqualified, the ideology he represented did not disappear. In the May 2025 rerun, another candidate with similar nationalist views, George Simion, received 41% of the vote in the first round. Global media initially predicted his victory, causing the Romanian leu to plummet to historic lows against the euro.

However, in the second round, incumbent President Nicușor Dan won with 53.6% of the vote. Voter turnout reached 65%, far higher than the annulled first round. Analysts believe TikTok increased its scrutiny and cooperation during the rerun, responding more swiftly to suspicious activities.

This upheaval has left deep societal divisions. Romanian society has become more polarized than ever, with little communication between opposing camps. For Bogdan Peschir, he firmly believes the election was invalidated simply because the “wrong” person won. He sees Georgescu’s rise as rooted in his ideas striking a chord with Romanians’ deep desire for change.

The viral propaganda launched by fake accounts gave candidates a significant early advantage. Once they reached the audience, many genuine voters were successfully persuaded. This digital interference in the election ultimately shaped public opinion and demonstrated a new form of hybrid warfare through social media.

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