CoinGecko's X account hacked, posts fraudulent token airdrop

The cryptocurrency price tracking site CoinGecko had its account on the social media platform X hacked, the company announced on Wednesday. 

In a fraudulent post, hackers promoted the launch of a new cryptocurrency called GCKO, which could pay for API services such as the cryptocurrency ANKR. They also included a suspicious link to a token airdrop.

CoinGecko later sought to limit the impact of the attempt to scam people with a warning posted to X.

"Our Twitter accounts CoinGecko and GeckoTerminal have been compromised," CoinGecko posted following the incident. "We're taking immediate steps to investigate the situation and secure our accounts. Please DO NOT click on any links or engage with suspicious content. Your security is our top priority. We'll keep you updated. Thank you for your understanding."

Hours later, CoinGecko explained that the hack was due to a team member clicking a malicious link. "Despite having 2FA enabled and implementing robust security measures, one of our team members clicked on a fraudulent Calendly link by accident, granting unauthorized app access to a hacker who then posted on our behalf," CoinGecko said, adding that both of their affected accounts have since been secured. "We sincerely apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused."

SEC's hacked X account

CoinGecko's hacked account follows the Securities and Exchange Commission having its X account compromised on Tuesday.

(Updates with an explanation from CoinGecko on how the hack occurred.)