Is there a possibility(an idea I have leaned towards since nostr started to gain traction around the first Nostrica event) that there were accounts/users who were "sponsored" as part of a pr type exercise. Fast massive follow count, huge zap earnings, promotion in trending etc. I somewhat find it understandable, if it is so, as a way to show nostr in a good light and highlight it's potential as a v4v social protocol. It's my understanding that Reddit used that tactic in it's early days too for much the same reason.