Changpeng Zhao Issues Warning After Cointelegraph and CoinMarketCap Hacks

Highlights:

• CZ alerts users after Cointelegraph, CoinMarketCap hit by wallet phishing scams.
• Scammers used fake airdrops and pop-ups to fool users into linking their crypto wallets.
• CertiK blames human error for rising attacks, $2.1B lost to hacks in 2025.

In a recent post on X, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao expressed concern about the rising number of crypto hacks. He cited recent security breaches involving major crypto platforms like CoinMarketCap and Cointelegraph as signs of increasing threats. Zhao also urged users to remain cautious, especially when connecting their wallets to online platforms.

He stated:

“2 days ago CMC, now CT. Hackers are targeting information web sites now. Be careful when authorizing wallet connect.”

2 days ago CMC, now CT. Hackers are targeting information web sites now. Be careful when authorizing wallet connect.

For CMC, based on initial on-chain analysis, there are 39 victims with a combined loss of $18,570. @CoinMarketCap will cover all losses. https://t.co/egkekyjAYQ

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) June 23, 2025

Cointelegraph and CoinMarketCap Hacked in Scam Attacks

On June 22, Cointelegraph reported that its website was compromised through a front-end vulnerability, displaying a fake token airdrop. The pop-up was used to trick users and steal from them. In a post on X, the team said they are aware of the fake pop-up and are working to fix it. They warned users not to click the pop-up, connect wallets, or share any personal information.

The pop-up falsely claimed users were selected for a new token giveaway. It said the offer was part of a “fair launch” by Cointelegraph to reward loyal readers. It displayed a fake token value and promised around $5,500 in rewards for connecting wallets. The message also falsely claimed that CertiK had audited the smart contract.

🚨 ALERT: We are aware of a fraudulent pop-up falsely claiming to offer “CoinTelegraph ICO Airdrops” or “CTG tokens” that are appearing on our site.

DO NOT:
– Click on these pop-ups
– Connect your wallets
– Enter any personal information

We are actively working on a fix.

— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) June 23, 2025

CZ shared that CoinMarketCap found 39 users affected, losing a total of $18,570 in the attack. The platform has promised to fully compensate all victims. The Cointelegraph hack happened shortly after researchers found a huge data dump with over 16 billion stolen login details. These stolen credentials likely came from malware, old data leaks, and login attacks.

Just two days before the Cointelegraph hack, CoinMarketCap was hit by a similar front-end attack. That hack showed fake pop-ups asking users to connect their wallets for “verification.” CoinMarketCap later confirmed it had removed the harmful code that hackers added to the site. These cases show a rising trend of phishing attacks targeting crypto platforms by breaking into their user interfaces. In these scams, attackers trick users into connecting their wallets with fake offers or ID checks, then steal their funds.

Update: We've identified and removed the malicious code from our site.

Our team is continuing to investigate and taking steps to strengthen our security.

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) June 21, 2025

CertiK Reports $2.1B Lost in 2025 Due to Rising Wallet Hacks

CertiK recently said hackers are now focusing more on tricking users than breaking smart contracts. In May, Coinbase faced a security breach where attackers stole important data from big clients. According to CertiK, crypto hacks have sharply increased in 2025, mainly due to wallet breaches. The rise in phishing and wallet-related attacks has led to losses exceeding $2.1 billion this year.

CertiK Co-Founder Ronghui Gu stated:

“Attackers always target the weakest point…Smart contracts or blockchain code itself was the weakest point, but now the attackers feel like the weakest points may come from human behavior rather than the code.”