CEO's X Hacked
Robinhood CEO's X Account Hacked, Promoting Memecoin Scam Amid Robinhood Chain Surge
Anonymous
Key Points
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VLAD's contract was deployed via PonsLaunchFactory and, according to Blockscout, was flagged as a 'potential scam' after about 1,868 transactions.
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The attacker generated roughly 650 ETH from the VLAD token, worth approximately $1.2 million to $1.3 million.
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Robinhood Chain has processed about $9 billion in cumulative decentralized exchange trading volume since launch, driven largely by meme coins.
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The Cash Cat meme coin emerged as a leading performer in Robinhood Chain trading during the incident.
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Initial responses from Robinhood were muted on its own channels; the hacked post was removed, and the company said it was working with X to restore access.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's X account was hacked on Tuesday to promote a fake memecoin called Vladhood (VLAD), which briefly hit a market cap of nearly $10 million before the post was taken down. crypto.news reported the fraudulent post falsely claimed VLAD was the "official Robinhood Chain mascot" and would be listed on the Robinhood app.
The scam drew over 175,000 views in under 20 minutes, according to Head Topics. Attackers walked away with roughly 650 ETH — worth about $1.2 million to $1.3 million. Robinhood said it is working with X to restore access and remove the fraudulent post.
How the Hack Unfolded in Under 20 Minutes
The attacker posted from Tenev's verified account, pitching VLAD as tied to Robinhood Chain. The post spread fast. Within 20 minutes it had racked up hundreds of thousands of views. Traders rushed in, pushing the token's market cap close to $10 million before the post disappeared, Decrypt reported.
The VLAD token contract was deployed through a tool called PonsLaunchFactory. On-chain data from Blockscout flagged it as a "potential scam" after around 1,868 transactions. That warning came too late for many buyers who had already piled in.
Attacker Pockets $1.2 Million Before Anyone Could Stop It
The people behind the hack made out with roughly 650 ETH, worth between $1.2 million and $1.3 million, according to crypto.news. That kind of profit in minutes shows why high-profile executive accounts are a prime target for crypto scammers.
CryptoNews noted the hack tapped into an existing meme-coin frenzy on Robinhood Chain. That frenzy made it easier to sell the fake token as real. Traders saw a familiar name and moved fast — exactly what the attackers counted on.
Robinhood Chain's $9 Billion Meme-Coin Boom Raises Red Flags
Robinhood Chain launched on July 1. Since then it has processed about $9 billion in total decentralized-exchange trading volume, driven mostly by meme coins, according to crypto.news. A token called Cash Cat emerged as one of the top performers during the period of the hack.
That kind of meme-coin dominance is a concern. Robinhood has bigger plans for its chain — including tokenized stocks. But when meme coins drive most of the activity, it can draw regulatory attention and undermine trust in the platform's broader ambitions, Decrypt noted.
Scam Spotlights the Need for Stronger Account and On-Chain Safeguards
The VLAD incident is part of a growing pattern. Attackers are increasingly going after high-profile executive accounts on X to launch fake tokens. Once a verified account posts, people trust it. The scam spreads before platforms can react.
Blockchain trackers flagged VLAD's contract, but the warning came only after nearly 1,900 transactions had already gone through. Yahoo Finance reported Robinhood coordinated with X to pull the post, but the damage was done. Analysts say social platforms and crypto projects need faster scam detection and stronger account security to stop these attacks before they pay off.
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