The Algorand Foundation reported that its CEO Staci Warden’s X account was compromised, leading to unauthorized posts on the account. The compromised account posted offensive content, including derogatory language and false statements about the Algorand community.
CEO Staci Warden X’s (formerly Twitter) account was compromised, and the hacker posted derogatory comments about the Algorand community using a racial slur. The hacker urged the community to sell Algorand’s native token, ALGO, and buy Ether (ETH) instead.
‼️ @StaciW_DC’s account has been compromised.
Please do not click on any links on her account or respond to DMs.
We are in the process of recovering it.
— Algorand Foundation (@AlgoFoundation) January 26, 2024
Additionally, the attacker posted satirical content about a fictional agreement with Tron founder Justin Sun, claiming that it gave Sun “total control” over Algorand and allowed him to mint any token back to True USD (TUSD). The hacker wrote:
“Of course, I accepted this offer immediately. Soon, Algorand will be pegged to VERY REAL USD, and a new era of digital commerce will commence.” The hacker also used satire to allege Sun’s projects will be responsible for the next “major financial collapse in crypto.”
The Algorand Foundation urged its community not to click on any links or respond to direct messages from Staci Warden’s compromised X account. Following the compromise of Staci Warden’s X account, the hacker continued to post provocative content, including satirical stories and altered profile information. Some community members responded with amusement, while others took the opportunity to criticize Warden.
The hacker posted music on the compromised account, changed Warden’s profile bio, and alleged that the CEO had drained funds from the community while gaslighting them into thinking it was a hack. The profile bio was further modified to claim that Warden had exited the Algorand Foundation and taken up a new career as a “semi-professional pole dancer.”
Hacker Compromises Algorand Foundation’s Twitter Account; the Community Reacts
Despite the posts’ unconventional and inappropriate nature, some community members appeared to find amusement in the hacker’s antics. An X user suggested that Algorand consider hiring the exploiter, while another proposed that the hacker be allowed to “keep the account.”
However, not everyone took the situation lightly. Some community members seized the opportunity to express criticism towards Warden. In response to the incident, ZachXBT, a well-known blockchain detective, commented that the hacker might make a better CEO for the Algorand Foundation.
Another X user took a jab at Warden’s qualifications, humorously suggesting she might be suited for an intern position at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which also experienced a compromised X account earlier in January.
The hacker also published a post in which he promised to give away one Ethereum (ETH) for every percentage that the price of the ALGO token loses during this week.
In early January, unknown individuals hacked the Twitter account of CertiK, a company specializing in security audits of smart contracts. A phishing link to a browser extension for protection against crypto scammers, Revoke.cash, appeared on the company’s page. However, the platform team quickly responded to the statement. The developers wrote about a possible hacking of the CertiK account.
Meanwhile, ALGO’s price did not react with a significant drop following news of the hack. Over the past 24 hours, the token has fallen by 1.14% to $0.1606 at the time of writing. However, trading volumes dropped more significantly—by 7%—to $29.9 million.