After making $41.3M during 14 years as a creator, MoistCr1TiKaL announced he’s done making money from his audience.
He turned off YouTube memberships, set Twitch Bits (the platform’s virtual currency) so high they’re basically unusable, and is discouraging Twitch subscriptions.
His message? Keep your money or donate instead.
Enough Is Enough?
In his latest video, MoistCr1TiKaL broke down how much he’s made in his career:
- $35.8M from YouTube
- $5.5M from Twitch
- $1M in just one year from donations and memberships
So why'd he pull the plug?
Part of it is exhaustion with viewers sending huge donations to get noticed, often with tragic consequences.
Earlier this month, a streamer was murdered by a fan who sent her $70,000.
“I just don’t think there’s any value in giving money during a stream to get my attention,” he said. “That’s not a good use of your money.”
Bigger Backlash Against Monetization
Moist’s decision comes as more creators push back against YouTube’s money machine.
Last week, Linus Tech Tips and Ludwig both ditched their members-only videos.
Their reason? YouTube began pushing the paywalled videos in both the recommended feed and homepage, which Linus called a “gross FOMO sales tactic.”
It’s part of a bigger trend: creators rejecting the idea that community should come with a paywall.
Our Take
For years, creators flexed how much they could earn. Now, the ultimate flex might be not needing to.
But it’s bigger than that. Moist, Ludwig, and Linus' decisions are about earning something money can’t buy: trust.
Because in the long run, that’s what sustains a creator’s career.