Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin’s X (Twitter) Account Hacked, Resulting in $691,000 in Losses
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s X (formerly Twitter) account was reportedly compromised, resulting in devastating losses exceeding $691,000 for victims who fell prey to a malicious link promising a free non-fungible token (NFT). The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency community, was uncovered by prominent blockchain investigator ZachXBT.
On September 9, Dmitry Buterin, Vitalik’s father, took to X to announce the alarming breach of his son’s account. In a now-deleted post, he wrote, “Disregard this post, apparently Vitalik has been hacked. He is working on restoring access.” This revelation left the cryptocurrency world in disbelief, as Vitalik Buterin is a revered figure in the blockchain space, known for his contributions to Ethereum.
WARNING! I JUST LOST A FEW PUNKS!
DON’T INTERACT! pic.twitter.com/lS4VvlHdVa
— ch[email protected] ohgod.et (@BokkyPooBah) September 9, 2023
The compromised account had posted a message celebrating the arrival of something called “Proto-Danksharding” on the Ethereum platform. It seemed to be a legitimate announcement until the hacker behind the breach shared a malicious link. The link enticed users with the promise of a free commemorative non-fungible token (NFT), a highly sought-after digital collectible.
In their eagerness to claim this supposedly valuable NFT, victims were instructed to connect their cryptocurrency wallets to the provided link. However, instead of receiving the promised token, their wallets were systematically emptied, resulting in substantial financial losses.
Update: $691k drained (another 33% in drainer fee address) pic.twitter.com/AVIShqDlMU
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) September 9, 2023
One victim, Ethereum developer Bok Khoo, known as “Bokky Poobah” on X, disclosed that he had suffered losses related to his CryptoPunk NFT collection. At the time of reporting, the floor price for a CryptoPunk NFT was approximately 46.99 Ether, equivalent to approximately $76,837. This loss serves as a harsh reminder of the risks associated with the burgeoning NFT market and the importance of exercising caution when engaging with unfamiliar links or promotions.
The hack of Vitalik Buterin’s X account raises questions about the security of high-profile cryptocurrency figures and underscores the need for enhanced security measures to protect against such incidents. In the wake of this breach, the cryptocurrency community is urging users to remain vigilant, exercise skepticism when encountering offers that seem too good to be true, and employ robust security practices to safeguard their digital assets.
While Vitalik Buterin and the affected victims work diligently to address the fallout from this breach, it serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by the cryptocurrency industry in its quest for widespread adoption and security. As the investigation unfolds, the community awaits further details regarding the perpetrators of this attack and the measures being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Read more:
- Validators Withdraw Over 21k ETH Just 2 Hours After Ethereum’s Shanghai Upgrade
- Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Deposits $1 Million Worth Of ETH To Coinbase