#ScrollCoFounderXAccountHacked
On January 25, 2026, the X (formerly Twitter) account of Ye Chen, co-founder of Scroll an influential Ethereum layer-2 scaling project was hijacked by cybercriminals in a sophisticated phishing attack that sent shockwaves across the crypto community.
Instead of targeting Scroll’s blockchain code, hackers seized Chen’s verified X account and transformed it into a convincing fake of X’s official support channel by changing its profile and reposting content from verified X accounts to build credibility.
They then sent out fraudulent direct messages and posts claiming urgent copyright violations and threatening account restrictions unless users clicked on malicious links a classic social engineering tactic exploiting panic and trust.
Because Chen’s profile has tens of thousands of followers, many of them influential developers, investors, and industry figures, this breach posed a significant risk of wide spread phishing success.
Blockchain security researcher Wu Blockchain was among the first to raise the alarm, warning followers to ignore any communications from the compromised account.
Scroll itself also issued warnings, urging users not to interact with any links or direct messages until the account could be recovered a process that was still underway at the time of reporting.
This incident highlights a broader trend of social engineering attacks in the crypto sector, where attackers increasingly target trusted industry voices and official accounts rather than technical vulnerabilities in code.
Previous breaches of other high profile crypto social media accounts demonstrate how effective this strategy can be at spreading scams and malicious URLs to an audience predisposed to trusting well-known figures.
In response to this event, the community has been reminded of the importance of vigilance against phishing, especially when messages urge immediate action or contain unexpected links even if they appear to come from respected leaders.
Robust account security practices, such as strong passwords, two factor authentication, and skepticism toward urgent notices, are essential defenses in a landscape where even elite crypto founders can fall victim to compromise.
