Emily Cocea, a law student who’s built a massive following on TikTok and Instagram, has earned over $1.3 million in just one year — but despite her success in adult-themed content, she insists there’s one boundary she’ll never cross.
The 22-year-old Los Angeles native, now studying at the University of Michigan, has become a viral name under her online persona “hotblockchain.” Yet, before her rise to fame, Emily was just another student trying to balance classes, part-time jobs, and the staggering $90,000-per-year tuition cost of her degree.
Her journey began after the loss of her father at age 15 — a tragedy that left her family in “really severe financial unrest.” Working fast food shifts didn’t bring enough relief, so she started looking for alternative ways to support herself.
When TikTok’s popularity exploded, Emily noticed a growing demand for creators who could personally connect with their followers. Even in high school, she began experimenting with social media, running four different accounts to test her audience — mostly men aged 18 to 24, many of whom worked in tech. It didn’t take long for her to find her niche and build a loyal fan base.
At 18, she began monetizing her audience through adult content creation. Within her first year, Emily earned $250,000, and her income soared as her online presence expanded across TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch.
Her daily routine became a juggling act — lectures by day, live streams by night, and hours spent chatting with paying subscribers who wanted direct interaction. Still, she managed to stay focused on her academic goals.
“I realized I will never be the prettiest girl in the world,” she said. “But what I can be is the girl who sells exclusive content and is in school.”
Though her content often flirts with the line between provocative and playful — featuring bikini, lingerie, and suggestive photos — Emily has made one rule clear: she refuses to post nude content, regardless of how much she’s offered.
“There’s nothing I’m uncomfortable answering,” she said. “But I’ve never posted nude content.”
When asked how she manages to earn so much without going explicit, Emily explained that her success comes from personal connection, not exposure. “For the most part, especially when you don’t do porn, people subscribe to you because they like you and they want to talk to you.”
Now pursuing her law degree, Emily remains confident that her online career won’t hinder her academic or professional future.
“This is not a barrier to scholastic or professional success,” she said. “If you want it enough, if you’re smart enough, that comes through in the interview and that definitely comes through in the test score.”
She also encourages other women not to feel trapped by their past choices. “I know a lot of girls who have said, ‘oh, well I did this for money, but now I feel like I couldn’t go back to school or anything’. And I think you always can.”
