Coin Market

Behind Elon Musk’s X outage: What really happened and why it matters

Published

1 day ago

March 14, 2025

What caused the X outage?

On March 10, 2025, X’s services went down for many users, causing frustration and confusion across the platform.

The outages were significant enough to make headlines and draw attention from the tech community and the media. Elon Musk, ever the outspoken owner, quickly attributed the disruptions to a “massive cyberattack.”

While the initial response was that the attack might have originated from a coordinated group or even a nation-state, Musk’s comments pointed to Ukrainian IP addresses as the suspected source. However, he later clarified that the evidence was not definitive.

Also, several cybersecurity experts emphasized that attributing the source of such attacks based solely on IP addresses is unreliable, as attackers often use compromised devices worldwide to mask their actual location.

So, what was the cause of X’s disruption?

It was a large-scale, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Such attacks involve overwhelming a server with so much traffic that it cannot serve legitimate requests, effectively bringing down the platform. This attack is a common method for cybercriminals to take down websites and was the primary factor behind X’s downtime.

The technical side: How the DDoS attack impacted X

DDoS attacks are no small feat. These attacks flood the target’s servers with excessive traffic, rendering them unable to function correctly.

It’s a strategy designed to exhaust a system’s resources and make it impossible for genuine users to access the service. Experts pointed out that the attack on X was massive and well-coordinated, taking down parts of the platform for hours.

Here’s a timeline of the events on March 10:

Early morning (Eastern Time): Users began reporting issues accessing X, with over 21,000 reports in the US and 10,800 in the UK. 9:30 am ET: A second wave of outages occurred, with about 40,000 users reporting disruptions. This outage persisted into the afternoon.Throughout the day: Users continued to experience intermittent access issues, with reports peaking during critical periods such as the start of National Football League free agency.Evening: By 6:24 pm ET, the number of reported issues decreased significantly to 403 in the US and 200 in the UK, indicating that the platform was stabilizing.

Security experts noted that some of X’s origin servers had not been adequately protected behind Cloudflare’s DDoS defense systems. This created a vulnerability that cyber attackers could exploit, contributing to the success of the attack.

Did any individual or group claim responsibility?

Yes, in the aftermath of the attack, a pro-Palestinian hacker group known as Dark Storm Team claimed responsibility. This group has been active since late 2023 and is known for targeting organizations and governments perceived to support Israel. Their tactics often involve DDoS attacks to disrupt services and draw attention to their political motives.

While X took quick action to shore up these weaknesses, this incident served as a reminder that even the most prominent platforms are not immune to cyber threats if their security infrastructure isn’t up to the task.

Did you know? Cloudflare is renowned for its robust DDoS protection, having previously defended against some of the largest recorded attacks, including a 5.6 terabit per second assault in October 2024.

From fail whale to Musk’s era: Major X outages in history

Over the years, the platform has faced several high-profile outages caused by cyberattacks, internal errors and technical limitations.

In its early days, X (then Twitter) was notorious for frequent crashes, often displaying the now-iconic “fail whale” image to users. These outages were primarily due to the platform’s struggle to handle surges in traffic, particularly during major global events like elections, award shows and sports finals.

“Fail Whale” was Twitter’s old error message, showing a cartoon whale being lifted by birds. It appeared when Twitter was overloaded or crashed. It became a symbol of Twitter’s frequent outages, especially in its early days.

Notable incidents from Fail Whale to Musk’s X era include:

2016 Dyn DDoS attack: One of the most severe outages in X’s history occurred during the Dyn cyberattack in October 2016. This massive DDoS attack targeted a key internet infrastructure provider, taking down major websites, including X, Reddit and Spotify. The incident underscored the risks of centralized internet infrastructure.2020 API failures: In October 2020, a widespread outage due to internal system changes led to API failures. While not a cyberattack, the event demonstrated how a misconfiguration could bring down the platform for hours.2022 takeover disruptions: Following Elon Musk’s acquisition in late 2022, several outages occurred due to mass layoffs affecting critical engineering teams. Reduced staffing raised concerns about the platform’s ability to maintain reliability.2023 rate limit issues: In July 2023, X imposed strict rate limits on users due to excessive data scraping. This decision led to widespread service disruptions, with many users unable to load tweets.

Did you know? The US Treasury is being sued for allegedly giving Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to millions of Americans’ sensitive financial and personal data. The lawsuit, filed by the AFL-CIO, claims this access violates federal laws and raises significant privacy concerns. Lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have warned that Musk’s involvement could lead to unprecedented data misuse.

The growing importance of social media security

The X outage highlights the growing concern about social media security in today’s digital world. Platforms like X, Meta and Instagram have become crucial communication channels for individuals, businesses, governments and activists. Even X has become a hub for the crypto community, serving as a central platform for discussions, updates, and networking within the industry. However, these platforms are increasingly under threat from cyberattacks, misinformation campaigns and data breaches.

Here are some key areas where social media security is essential:

Protecting user data: With millions of users actively posting, messaging and storing sensitive data, social media platforms are prime targets for hackers. Personal information, including emails, phone numbers and even financial data, can be compromised if security measures are weak.Enhancing user authentication: Stronger authentication methods, such as multifactor authentication (MFA), biometric logins and encrypted messaging, can reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Users should be encouraged to enable MFA to add an extra layer of security to their accounts.Fighting disinformation and fake accounts: Cyberattacks aren’t always about taking down a platform; sometimes, they aim to manipulate public perception. Fake accounts, bots and misinformation campaigns can create chaos, influence elections and spread propaganda. Social media companies must use advanced AI tools to proactively detect and remove such threats.Preventing DDoS and cyberattacks: As seen in the case of X, DDoS attacks can cripple a platform. While companies invest heavily in cybersecurity, hackers continue to evolve their tactics. This calls for constant vigilance and AI-driven security systems to detect and mitigate threats in real-time.Regular security audits and updates: Cybersecurity is an ongoing process. Social media companies must conduct regular security audits to identify and patch vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Keeping systems updated ensures that the latest security measures are in place.

Finally, as you continue to integrate social media into various aspects of your lives, prioritizing security will ensure that these platforms remain trusted and reliable channels for communication and engagement.

Coin Market

Bitcoin needs weekly close above $81K to avoid downside ahead of FOMC

Published

9 minutes ago

March 15, 2025

Bitcoin needs to close above the key $81,000 weekly level to avoid more downside volatility ahead of next week’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, which will offer investors more cues on the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy for 2025.

Bitcoin (BTC) price fell over 3% during the past week, to trade above $83,748 as of 9:33 a.m. in UTC, Cointelegraph Markets Pro data shows.

Bitcoin price continues to risk significant downside volatility due to growing macroeconomic uncertainty around global trade tariffs, according to Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget Research.

BTC/USD, 1-year chart. Source: Cointelegraph

Closing the week above $81,000 will be key to avoid more Bitcoin downside, the analyst told Cointelegraph, adding:

“The key level to watch for the weekly close is $81,000 range, holding above that would signal resilience, but if we see a drop below $76,000, it could invite more short-term selling pressure.”

The analyst’s comments come days ahead of the next FOMC meeting scheduled for March 19. Markets are currently pricing in a 98% chance that the Fed will keep interest rates steady, according to the latest estimates of the CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

Source: CME Group’s FedWatch tool

The outcome of the meeting may significantly impact Bitcoin investor sentiment, said Lee, adding:

“The market largely expects the Fed to hold rates steady, but any unexpected hawkish signals could put pressure on Bitcoin and other risk assets.”

“Even a dovish surprise, like a rate cut, might not be the immediate boost some are hoping for, as investors are still weighing macro uncertainties,” added the analyst.

Bitcoin close above $85k may reignite investor optimism for more upside: analyst

Other analysts are seeing a silver lining in Bitcoin’s stagnant price action.

A weekly close above $85,000 may inspire more investor confidence and lead to the next breakout, according to Enmanuel Cardozo, market analyst at Brickken real-world asset tokenization platform.

The market analyst told Cointelegraph:

“Traders and investors alike are keeping a close eye on the $80,000 support and the $85,000–$90,000 resistance, with a break above the latter potentially sparking a strong upward movement.”

While Bitcoin’s short-term momentum may be limited by the upcoming economic releases, the regulatory developments around Trump’s Bitcoin reserve plan may gradually bring more market optimism and mass adoption, added the analyst.

Trump’s Bitcoin reserve came one step closer to fruition on March 14, after US Representative Byron Donalds introduced a bill that seeks to ensure the Bitcoin reserve becomes a permanent fixture, preventing future administrations from dismantling it through executive action.

If the bill is passed, it would ensure that the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the US Digital Asset Stockpile could not be eliminated via executive actions by a future administration.

The bill will require at least 60 votes in the Senate and a House majority to pass. With Republicans holding a Senate majority — and amid a generally more crypto-friendly environment — the bill has a chance of passing.

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Coin Market

'Very possible' Bitcoin consolidates for 8 months again: 10x Research

Published

3 hours ago

March 15, 2025

10x Research’s head crypto researcher isn’t ruling out Bitcoin repeating its 2024 price action, where it spent much of the year consolidating after hitting all-time highs early on.

“Very possible,” Markus Thielen told Cointelegraph when asked what the chances of Bitcoin (BTC) repeating a similar market movement to 2024, where it reached an all-time high of $73,679 in March before entering a consolidation phase, swinging within a range of around $20,000 up until Donald Trump was elected as US president in November.

Bitcoin’s current chart signals “market indecision”

Thielen said he had this thought even two months ago, around the time Bitcoin hit its current all-time high of $109,000 on the day of Trump’s inauguration.

He explained in his most recent market report on March 15 that Bitcoin’s current chart resembles a “High and Tight Flag,” which, despite typically being a bullish continuation pattern, shows signs of weakness.

Bitcoin’s price chart is forming a High, Tight Flag Pattern. Source: 10x Research

“Two flags instead of a single, precise formation weakens this setup,” Thielen said.

“As a result, the pattern currently suggests market indecision rather than a straightforward bullish consolidation,” he added.

Meanwhile, he also pointed out that the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) market shows no signs of a “buy-the-dip” mentality.

“Little incentive” to take advantage of Bitcoin’s recent price dip

“This aligns with our view that most ETF flows came from arbitrage-driven hedge funds. Given the persistently low funding rates, there’s little incentive or willingness to deploy additional capital despite the recent price correction,” Thielen said.

Since the beginning of March, when Bitcoin fell below $90,000, spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US have recorded total outflows of around $1.66 billion, according to Farside data.

Bitcoin is trading at $84,290 at the time of publication, according to CoinMarketCap. This represents a 23% decline from its $109,000 January all-time high.

Bitcoin is down 12.86% over the past month. Source: CoinMarketCap

Thielen is unsure if Bitcoin’s uptrend will resume in the short term. ”Therefore, it may be prudent to close short positions at this stage, although there remains little evidence to support a strong price recovery,” Thielen said.

Ever since Bitcoin fell below $80,000 on Feb. 28 — the first time since November — amid growing macroeconomic uncertainty over US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, several crypto analysts have been predicting further downfall for the asset.

On March 10, BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom chief investment officer Arthur Hayes said “it looks like Bitcoin will retest $78,000.” “If it fails, $75,000 is next in the crosshairs,” he added.

Meanwhile, Iliya Kalchev, dispatch analyst at digital asset investment platform Nexo, told Cointelegraph on March 11 that the low $70,000 range could “provide a foundation for a more sustainable recovery.”

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Coin Market

Crypto faces ‘starkest' gap between sentiment and fundamentals: BlockTower

Published

5 hours ago

March 15, 2025

The major disconnect between crypto traders’ growing short-term market uncertainty and crypto builders becoming more bullish than ever creates a prime setup for long-term investors, according to a crypto hedge fund founder.

“This is one of the starkest divergences I’ve seen in sentiment and fundamentals,” BlockTower Capital founder Ari Paul said in a March 14 X post.

Optimism grows among those beyond crypto natives

Paul said that while traders and analysts have turned bearish on crypto recently, crypto developers — and more broadly, those working for crypto companies less focused on the market cycle itself — remain much more bullish.

“All the data points I’m hearing from basically any crypto-related project or company that doesn’t rely on “natives” near-term is positive,” Paul said.

Source: Nic Puckrin

Based on this, he’s confident that crypto is a “good buy” over the “12 month timeframe” but isn’t sure if it has reached a short-term bottom yet. Crypto analyst Matthew Hyland recently said the only way for Bitcoin to confirm that the bottom is actually in would be to close a week back above $89,000.

However, on March 14, the broader crypto market rose slightly, giving traders a bit more short-term confidence.

Bitcoin (BTC) spiked 3.16% to $84,638 over the 24 hour period, while Ether (ETH) rose 1.79% and XRP (XRP) jumped 6.01%, according to CoinMarketCap.

Over the same 24 hours, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index, which measures overall crypto market sentiment, surged 19 points to 46, which is still in the “Fear” zone but nearing neutral territory.

Source: Dan McArdle

MN Trading Capital founder Michael van de Poppe said Bitcoin’s price spike over the past 24 hours has strengthened his confidence in the asset resuming its uptrend by June.

Crypto market presenting opportunity for “sustainable value” investments

“Clearly made a higher low, clearly touching the highs,” van de Poppe said in a March 14 X post.

“It’s very likely that we’re starting a new uptrend on the lower timeframes going into a good Q2,” he added.

Paul also said it may be the right time to explore traditional venture capital crypto investments with a longer-term outlook.

“A good time to be looking for “traditional” style VC crypto investments. By “traditional” I mean longer term, genuinely focusing on sustainable value creation, no quick monetization scheme,” Paul said.

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