CoinMarketCap Hacked Scrambles to Remove Malicious Wallet Verification Popup

pAmin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews Investingcom 99Bitcoins and 247 Wall St He hasppCoinMarketCap was hacked on Friday after a malicious popup appeared on its website urging users to verify their walletsppKey TakeawaysppThe phishingstyle notification asked users to connect their wallets and approve ERC20 token access raising immediate red flags across the crypto communityppWallet providers like MetaMask and Phantom quickly flagged the site as unsafe with Phantom displaying a browser warning against using the platformppIn a Friday post on X CoinMarketCap confirmed the removal of the malicious popup Weve identified and removed the malicious code from our site the platform said ppThe company added that it is continuing to investigate the breach and is reinforcing its security measures to prevent similar incidentsppUpdate Weve identified and removed the malicious code from our site Our team is continuing to investigate and taking steps to strengthen our securityppThe malicious prompt which triggered warnings from wallet providers like MetaMask and Phantom reportedly asked users to connect their wallets and approve access to ERC20 tokensppPhantoms browser extension even flagged CoinMarketCap as unsafe to use raising concerns about the platforms vulnerabilityppReports of the phishing attempt began circulating across crypto social media with several users alerting others not to interact with the promptppMany suspected the attack was an attempt to steal wallet credentials through a fake interface mimicking a legitimate verification processppThe incident has reignited concerns about CoinMarketCaps security coming nearly four years after a 2021 data breach exposed the email addresses of over 31 million usersppThat data was later discovered for sale on hacking forums prompting criticism over the platforms safeguardspp SECURITY ALERT Were seeing reports that CoinMarketCaps front end has been compromised and is trying to trick people into linking their wallets presumably to drain them pictwittercoma0JREDSPvSppCoinMarketCap owned by Binance remains one of the most widely used resources in the crypto space making it a prime target for malicious actors looking to exploit its credibilityppUsers are urged to avoid connecting wallets to unsolicited prompts and to verify all interactions through official channelsppThe company has not disclosed the source of the breach but has committed to ongoing security reviewsppIllicit cryptocurrency activity surged to at least 409 billion in 2024 according to Chainalysis with the number likely to grow as more criminallinked wallets are identifiedppHacks alone accounted for 22 billion in stolen assets a 21 increase from the previous yearppNorth Koreanlinked groups including Lazarus and Tradetraitor were behind over 60 of those thefts with major incidents like the 300 million hack of Japans DMM Bitcoin exchange among their hitsppBut the threats go beyond online exploits Criminal groups are using crypto to fund and conceal a wider range of crimesfrom investment scams and AIenhanced romance frauds to drug trafficking and even physical violenceppIn one alarming case on May 13 2025 the daughter and grandson of Paymiums CEO were nearly kidnapped in Paris by masked menppGet dialed in every Tuesday Friday with quick updates on the world of cryptoppGet dialed in every Tuesday Friday with quick updates on the world of cryptoppThe information on this website is for educational purposes only and investing carries risks Always do your research before investing and be prepared for potential lossespp18 and Gambling Online gambling rules vary by country please follow them This website provides entertainment content and using it means you accept out terms We may include partnership links but they dont affect our ratings or recommendationsppCrypto promotions on this site do not comply with the UK Financial Promotions Regime and are not intended for UK consumersp