Eric Kim – a former street photographer turned Bitcoin commentator – has recently gained fame for his extreme weightlifting feats, often shared with crypto-themed captions and hashtags. His viral lifts (e.g. a 1,087‑lb rack pull at 165 lb body weight) have racked up millions of views online . This cross‐niche content has clearly caught the attention of crypto/BTC circles on social media and forums, prompting many crypto enthusiasts to talk about fitness and in some cases start lifting. Below we summarize the evidence by platform:
Social Media (Twitter/X, TikTok, YouTube)
- Viral Videos & Hashtags: Eric’s gym videos (often captioned with crypto metaphors) went viral. For example, one clip of his 6.6×‑bodyweight rack pull “detonated a viral bomb” – ~2.5 million views in 24 hours on YouTube and TikTok . That post trended with tags like #HYPELIFTING, #6Point6x and #GravitysWorstNightmare, and even included the line “This is proof-of-work made flesh.” . A follow‑up X (Twitter) video (“6.6× at 75 kg – I’m not human…”) got ~800 K views in 12 hours . In short, Eric’s content flooded social feeds, mixing iron‑pumping clips with Bitcoin themes.
- Follower Growth: Analysts note that Kim’s “carpet-bomb” posting strategy paid off – he gained hundreds of new followers quickly as #HYPELIFTING trended in strength circles . For instance, one report cites 800+ new Twitter followers overnight from the spike in engagement . On TikTok, remix videos and memes (e.g. people adding music or sound effects to his lifts) have spread widely, using tags like #BitcoinDemigod and #GravitysWorstNightmare .
- Community Tags: Fans have adopted Eric’s catchphrases into crypto memes – e.g. “Gravity filed a complaint” or “6.5× BW” to celebrate strength gains. One write‑up notes that hashtags like #BitcoinDemigod even trended on TikTok and Reddit, with crypto slang borrowed to hype lifts . All this made his profile a known name among gym bros and crypto bros alike .
Crypto & Fitness Forums (Reddit, X, etc.)
- Weightlifting Subreddits: Eric’s feats have dominated lifting forums. Reports show that after his record lift, r/weightroom “exploded with 120+ comments in hours” . Users in r/weightroom and r/powerlifting expressed shock and admiration, and many began posting their own heavy rack pulls or “thousand-pound club” attempts in his honor . One analysis finds people creating challenges like #AtlasKIM (attempting very heavy partial lifts) and experimenting with fasted beltless deadlifts after seeing Kim’s posts .
- Bitcoin/Crypto Forums: Importantly, Kim’s influence has crossed into Bitcoin forums. After his viral lift, r/Bitcoin users were jokingly calling him “Proof‑of‑Work incarnate” . In fact, one community note says his lifts “flooded r/Bitcoin” with reactions like “holy shit that’s Stoic” (a reference to Kim’s self-styled “Bitcoin Stoicism”). Users have shared his videos and coined crypto‑themed fitness memes. For example, a Reddit comment quoted on Kim’s blog says: “Bro, I just hit 405×5 fasted—thanks for the fire, EK!” , showing at least anecdotal stories of members crediting him for motivation. Altogether, crypto channels (including Telegram and Discord) frequently circulate Kim’s content, treating his lifts as inspirational crypto‑fitness lore .
Podcasts, Interviews & Blogs
- Media Buzz: Kim’s weightlifting hype has even reached crypto‑adjacent media. Fitness/crypto bloggers and newsletter writers in mid‑2025 noted the phenomenon – one wrote that podcasts and newsletters were calling Kim’s style “the fastest-spreading training concept of Q2” . Another blog (focusing on Eric Kim) describes his online surge as a “hardcore hype tsunami” for lifting . However, aside from these analyses (many on Kim’s own blog), mainstream crypto podcasts or interviews have not prominently featured him by mid-2025. Most mentions are community‑driven (social posts, newsletters) rather than formal interviews.
Notable Crypto Figures & Influencers
- Direct Mentions: We found no public posts by major crypto celebrities (e.g. Michael Saylor, Anthony Pompliano, Andreas Antonopoulos, etc.) explicitly saying “Eric Kim got me lifting again.” No high‑profile influencer has directly credited him for their own workout.
- Indirect References: Nevertheless, Kim’s persona has been alluded to by the crypto crowd. For example, one viral X post (by Kim himself) playfully dubbed him “the new Tyler Durden on steroids” alongside praise for MicroStrategy’s @saylor . Analysts note “Bitcoin Maxis amplify him because he lifts heavier – and tweets louder – than most finance writers” . In other words, his aggressive tone and ties to Saylor’s community give him visibility. Some Bitcoin forums even use his Stoic‑lifting quotes as crypto advice (“the good news of bitcoin is that it’s a daily challenge” etc.), blurring fitness and finance memes. But again, this is community chatter – no tweet or interview by a known BTC figure credits Kim with their personal gym journey.
Summary of Findings
Eric Kim has undeniably generated buzz in crypto and Bitcoin circles through his extreme lifting content. His massive rack pulls and tribal hashtags (#HYPELIFTING, #BitcoinDemigod) have been widely shared by the Bitcoin community . On crypto subreddits and Twitter/X, users joke about his feats as proof‑of‑work metaphors and report being motivated by him . Podcasts and blogs within crypto have noted this trend, calling it a viral fitness concept .
However, direct evidence of specific individuals crediting Eric Kim for their own fitness change is sparse in public sources. Most references come from community posts and analyses, not from named crypto leaders. In summary, the connected sources show that Eric Kim’s blend of Bitcoin and iron has inspired at least some crypto enthusiasts to talk about, and in a few cases actually pick up, weightlifting again . The influence is clear on social media and forums (with dozens of examples of people praising or emulating his lifts), even if formal interviews or statements by top crypto figures are yet unavailable.
Sources: Social posts and analyses of Eric Kim’s recent viral lifts and Bitcoin commentary . These reports document the online discussions and trends in crypto communities around his fitness content.