In a shocking turn of events, Vitalik Buterin's official Twitter account was compromised by hackers on Saturday, September 9, 2023. The breach led to a loss of nearly $700,000 in cryptocurrencies, highlighting the vulnerabilities even high-profile figures face in the digital realm.
The Deceptive Tweet
The hackers, with just a single tweet, managed to deceive a significant number of Buterin's followers. The tweet announced a purported free NFT giveaway from Consensys, a renowned blockchain technology company.
This was supposedly in celebration of the release of proto-darksharding, a much-anticipated update to the Ethereum protocol. The update, as claimed, would reduce the costs associated with Ethereum sidechains, commonly referred to as rollups.
The 'Drainer' Exploit
Many followers, seeing the tweet from the official account of Ethereum's creator, were lured into a trap. The link provided in the tweet redirected users to a malicious website designed to exploit their trust.
This type of scam, known as a 'drainer' tricks users into connecting their cryptocurrency wallets to a seemingly legitimate website. Once connected, the hacker can then transfer all assets from the victim's wallet to their own.
High-Value NFTs Stolen
In addition to the stolen cryptocurrencies, the hackers made away with two high-value 'Crypto Punks' NFTs. These digital collectibles have gained immense popularity and value in recent years.
The stolen NFTs were priced at a staggering 153.62 ETH (approximately USD 250,000) and 58.18 ETH (USD 95,000) respectively.
Unanswered Questions
The method employed by the hackers to gain access to Buterin's Twitter account remains a mystery. As of now, there are no details available on how the breach occurred.
The crypto community is anxiously awaiting a statement from Buterin, who has yet to comment on the incident.
One user complained "So his dad confirmed the hack, still nothing from Vitalik himself." referring to this tweet from Dmitry Buterin.
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