- The crypto community is in a stir following a suspected hacking incident involving the official X account of Near Protocol, a key player in the altcoin scene.
- On May 8th, a series of unusual tweets and changes were made to the account, sparking concerns about a security breach and the potential motivations behind it.
- While some speculate this could be a phishing scam similar to one that targeted CoinGecko’s X account earlier this year, others in the Near community view the cryptic messages as heralds of positive developments for the protocol’s ecosystem.
A suspected hacking incident involving the official X account of Near Protocol has stirred the crypto community, leading to speculations about a security breach and its potential implications.
Suspected Hacking of Near Protocol’s X Account
The crypto community is abuzz following a suspected hacking incident involving the official X account of Near Protocol, a key player in the altcoin scene. On May 8th, a series of unusual tweets and changes were made to the account, sparking concerns about a security breach and the potential motivations behind it.
Unusual Activity on the Account
The incident began with a seemingly harmless but disturbing message. Near Protocol’s X account posted a context-less 27-second Morse Code video around 9:18 PM IST. When the code was deciphered, it revealed a chilling statement: “Darkness is coming.” This ominous activity was followed by a flurry of activity two hours later. The compromised account posted four consecutive tweets written in a gothic font typically associated with heavy metal music. The cryptic and disturbing messages included: “The sun rises from the east,” “Take back your thoughts,” “Darkness,” and “Reclaim your sovereignty.”
Changes to the Account’s Theme
The account’s name and description were also changed to reflect a gothic theme, adding to the eerie atmosphere. These major changes, combined with the disturbing messages, ignited speculation of a hack among the crypto community and blockchain researchers. However, at the time of writing, Near Protocol has neither officially confirmed nor denied the incident.
Potential Fraud Risk on X Accounts
While some speculate this could be a phishing scam similar to one that targeted CoinGecko’s X account earlier this year, others in the Near community view the cryptic messages as heralds of positive developments for the protocol’s ecosystem. This incident comes amidst a significant transition period for Near Protocol. In January, the protocol’s developer, Near Foundation, laid off 40% of its staff, citing a strategic shift towards “a narrower and higher impact set of activities.” This move, aimed at streamlining operations and accelerating decentralized governance in the Near ecosystem, resulted in 35 employees from the marketing, business development, and community teams leaving.
Conclusion
The timing of the suspected hacking incident following the recent layoffs raises additional questions. Could these events be connected? Is the hacker trying to exploit concerns about the protocol’s restructuring? Meanwhile, the price of NEAR coin seems largely unaffected by the situation. Despite the emergence of intriguing messages, the coin dropped from $7.06 to $6.8 but is currently trading at $7.12 levels. It even hit a peak of $7.3 in the last 24 hours. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen what impact, if any, this incident will have on Near Protocol and the broader crypto community.
