Kaito AI, an artificial intelligence-powered platform that aggregates crypto data to provide market analysis for users, and its founder Yu Hu, were the victims of an X social media hack on March 15.

In several now-deleted posts, hackers claimed that the Kaito wallets were compromised and advised users that their funds were not safe.

According to DeFi Warhol, the hackers opened up a short position on KAITO tokens before posting the messages in the hopes that users would sell or pull their funds, which would have crashed the price and created profits for the threat actors.

The price of the KAITO token dips, presumably due to a short position. Source: CoinMarketCap

The Kaito AI team regained access to the accounts and reassured users that Kaito token wallets were not compromised in the social media exploit.

“We had high-standard security measures in place to prevent [the hack] — so it seems to be similar or the same as other recent Twitter account hacks,” the Kaito AI team added.

This recent exploit is the latest in a growing list of social media hacks, social engineering scams, and cybersecurity incidents plaguing the crypto industry.

Source: Kaito AI

Related: Kaito AI token defies influencer selling pressure with 50% price rally

Vigilance is key: some of the latest scams and exploits to impact crypto

Pump.fun’s X account was hacked on Feb. 26 by a threat actor promoting several fake tokens, including a fraudulent governance token for the fair launch platform called “Pump.”

According to onchain sleuth ZackXBT, the Pump.fun incident was directly connected to the Jupiter DAO account hack and the DogWifCoin X account compromise.

On March 7, The Alberta Securities Commission, a Canadian financial regulator, warned the public that malicious actors were using fake news articles and fake endorsements featuring the likeness of Canadian politicians to promote a crypto scam.

The scam, known as CanCap, played on fears of a trade war between Canada and the US to lure unsuspecting victims into investing in the project, which the scammers claimed had the support of Canadian leader Justin Trudeau.

An example of a Lazarus social engineering scam where the hackers pretend to be venture capitalists experiencing audio-visual issues. Source: Nick Bax

Crypto executives are also sounding the alarm on a new scam from the state-sponsored Lazarus hacker group, where the hackers pose as venture capitalists in a Zoom meeting.

Once the target is in the meeting room, the hackers would claim they were experiencing audio-visual issues and redirect the victim to a malicious chat room where the user is encouraged to download a patch.

The patch contains malicious software designed to steal crypto private keys and other sensitive information from the victim’s computer.

Magazine: Lazarus Group’s favorite exploit revealed — Crypto hacks analysis

The Open Network (TON) Society released a statement on March 15 celebrating the return of Pavel Durov’s passport as a win for freedom of speech, online privacy, and innovation.

According to the AFP news agency, Durov left France and headed to Dubai on the morning of March 15 after gaining permission from French officials to depart the European country.

“We have stood behind Pavel since his arrest on August 24, 2024,” the TON Society wrote. The group added:

“Pavel’s unwavering commitment to freedom of speech and transparency, despite facing the most challenging of circumstances, is a powerful reminder of the importance of standing by your principles, even when it is politically and personally detrimental to do so.”

The TON Society previously penned a letter condemning the French government for detaining Durov and urging the country to release the Telegram founder.

The TON Society celebrates the return of Durov’s passport by French law enforcement officials. Source: TON Society

“The arrest of the Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, is a direct assault on a basic human right — the freedom of expression of everyone,” the TON Society’s Aug. 27 letter read.

At the time, the organization also called on the United Nations, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the European Union (EU) to intervene and push for Durov’s release.

Free speech advocates in the crypto industry sounded the alarm over Pavel Durov’s arrest, citing the troubling implications for privacy and decentralized technologies in the face of state pressure to censor the internet and the potential for regulatory capture.

Emmanuel Macron denies political motivation for Durov’s arrest

Shortly after French law enforcement officials detained the Telegram founder, President Emmanuel Macron denied the arrest was politically motivated and claimed that France was committed to free speech.

French President Emmanuel Macron denies the arrest of Pavel Durov was politically motivated. Source: Emmanuel Macron

In a subsequent press conference, Macron also denied inviting Durov to France amid a torrent of backlash from the crypto community and free speech advocates.

Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of the free-speech video platform Rumble, announced that he safely departed Europe shortly following the detention of Pavel Durov.

In an Aug. 25 X post, the CEO said that the French government threatened Rumble and condemned state authorities for the crackdown on free speech.

Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a crime? Crypto lawyers weigh in

The price of Toncoin (TON) jumped over 6% following the release of Telegram founder Pavel Durov from France, where he had been compelled to remain since his arrest in August 2024.

According to CoinMarketCap, the price of TON has rallied by roughly 18% in the last 24 hours and over 13% in the last seven days.

Following the news of the Telegram founder’s arrest in France on Aug. 24, 2024, the price of TON plummeted by over 35%, from roughly $6.88 to $4.44 by September 2024.

The digital asset reached a high of $7.20 on December 4, 2024, amid a historic rally in the crypto markets in response to the re-election of President Donald Trump in the United States.

However, TON’s price collapsed by roughly 67% after the post-election rally, reaching a low of $2.36 on March 11, 2025.

Toncoin’s price action since August 2024. Source: TradingView

Toncoin is the cryptocurrency of The Open Network, which is separate from the Telegram platform, but has become a staple for users of the messaging application.

French prosecutors accused Durov of running a platform that allegedly enables illegal activities, according to charges announced on Aug. 28, 2024.

Durov being granted approval to leave France was applauded by Telegram and TON users as a win for freedom of speech, while the debate between online security and freedom of expression continues to foment.

Related: Wallet in Telegram to list 50 tokens and launch yield program

Pavel Durov finally allowed to leave France after months

The Telegram founder reportedly secured permission to leave France on March 13 to travel to Dubai.

According to the AFP news agency, unnamed sources confirmed Durov’s departure from the European country this morning, and other sources claimed that the Telegram founder was allowed to leave France for “several weeks.”

At this point, it is unclear whether the case has been settled in French courts or if Durov has only been granted temporary travel time while the case is arbitrated in the legal system.

A translated statement from the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office announcing charges against Telegram founder Pavel Durov. Source: Jacques Pezet

French law enforcement officials have accused Telegram of facilitating illegal activities by failing to censor the messaging platform and also pressed charges against Durov — forcing him to remain in France as part of a bail agreement.

The Telegram founder later characterized the arrest as unnecessary and said that the company maintains a representative in the European Union to handle legal requests.

Durov emphasized that he and the company would have gladly cooperated with French authorities if an appropriate legal request for help was submitted.

Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a crime? Crypto lawyers weigh in