Cointelegraph and CoinMarketCap Hacked; Changpeng Zhao Issues Warning

Two major crypto websites — Cointelegraph and CoinMarketCap — have recently fallen victim to high-profile security threats. In response to these incidents, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has issued a warning, urging users to be cautious with wallet connections.

Changpeng Zhao Warns Users of Increasing Crypto Hacks

In a recent X post, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has raised concerns over the increasing crypto hacks. As examples of the growing threat, CZ highlighted the recent breaches of prominent crypto websites like CoinMarketCap and Cointelegraph. He cautioned users to be careful when connecting wallets. His post read,

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

Recently, Web3 security company CertiK hinted that attackers are shifting their focus from exploiting smart contract vulnerabilities to targeting users through social engineering schemes. In May, Coinbase was targeted in a security breach, where hackers stole sensitive information of major clients.

As per CertiK, there is a notable rise in crypto hacks driven by wallet compromise. This shift is reflected in the significant losses seen in 2025. This year, hackers have stolen more than $2.1 billion, largely due to wallet compromises and phishing attacks.

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.

What Happened to CoinMarketCap and Cointelegraph?

Significantly, Changpeng Zhao’s warning comes in response to the recent breaches involving CoinMarketCap and Cointelegraph.

CoinMarketCap Hack

As reported by CoinGape, CoinMarketCap faced a security breach, where hackers exploited a vulnerability on the platform. While the hacked platform displayed a malicious pop-up notification attempting to trick users into verifying their crypto wallets, CoinMarketCap promptly removed the code.

Changpeng Zhao revealed that CoinMarketCap reported 39 victims with a combined loss of $18,570 based on initial on-chain analysis, and the platform has pledged to cover all losses.

Cointelegraph Hack

Crypto news outlet Cointelegraph confirmed its website was hacked in a front-end exploit, which promoted a fake token airdrop and targeted user funds. The media platform acknowledged the “fraudulent pop-up” and stated it was actively working on a solution. The platform warned, “Do not click on these pop-ups, connect your wallets [or] enter any personal information.”

Notably, the fake pop-up notification deceived users with a giveaway scam. They claimed that the users had been selected for a token giveaway as part of the platform’s ‘fair launch initiative.’ It falsely displayed a token price, promising users around $5,500 worth of tokens if they connected their wallets, and even fabricated CertiK’s audit approval. This tactic mirrors a similar attack on CoinMarketCap that occurred just two days earlier.