Batch of crypto company's X accounts hacked, promoting memenoin

The string of attacks hijacking the X accounts of well-known individuals and organizations in the crypto market has increased sharply in recent weeks. The latest victims include Litecoin, Foresight Ventures and LayerZero Labs' Chief Technology Officer, Ryan Zarick.

Hackers often use the hijacked accounts to post the memecoin scam, in order to lure and take advantage of quick-reaction traders. Litecoin's X account was hacked on January 11, 2025, and hackers used the account to promote a memenoin scam to 1.1 million followers.

After regaining control, Litecoin apologized and said the problem stemmed from a compromised authorized account, and pledged to continue investigating the incident.

Not only Litecoin, Foresight Ventures's X account with 28,000 followers was also hijacked on the same day. On January 12, it was the turn of the X account of Ryan Zarick, co-founder and CTO of LayerZero Labs, to be used by hackers to promote the scam to 12,500 followers.

Earlier, Holoworld AI's X account, with more than 150,000 followers, was hacked last week. Phishing posts on these accounts often promise the release of new memoins or airdrops, and limit the ability to comment to prevent users from detecting the scam.

Although accounts are usually recovered quickly, some quick-reaction traders still fall victim, causing significant financial losses.

Recent hacking attacks on the X account have affected many other figures and organizations, including well-known singers such as Drake and Wiz Khalifa, the Cardano Foundation, and AI startup Anthropic. According to security researcher ZachXBT, the same series of attacks from November caused more than $3.5 million in damage through the memenoin scams.

To protect account X, security researcher Taylor Monahan recommends that users perform a personal security check according to the guidelines of the Security Alliance (SEAL Org).

This guide includes important steps such as removing the phone number from the account, activating two-factor authentication, and reviewing the list of accounts that are granted access. Monahan stressed that even those who have previously checked for security should take these steps again, as Twitter has updated many settings and encouraged users to add phone numbers again.

In the event of an account being hijacked, Monahan suggests notifying the SEALs via the Telegram @SEAL_911 bot to get timely assistance.

Security experts can quickly block malicious links on MetaMask and many other crypto wallets, helping to minimize the impact of attacks. This is seen as an effective solution to deal with the recent increase in X account hijackings.