Crypto News

Elon Musk X’s Security In Question After US SEC’s X Account Gets Hacked

Published by

The hack of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s official account on X on Tuesday has renewed concerns about the security of Elon Musk’s social media platform. However, the X safety team has confirmed that the account was compromised due to the SEC failing to enable two-factor authentication rather than any breach of X’s systems.

Naysayers Question Security of X After Elon Musk’s Takeover

The hackers posted false news about the SEC’s approved all spot Bitcoin ETFs. The SEC deleted the post about 30 minutes after it appeared, reported Reuters on January 10.

X confirmed after an investigation that the SEC’s account was compromised after an unidentified individual gained control over a phone number linked to the security agency through a third party. X also said in a post that two-factor authentication was not enabled by the SEC official account.

In addition, X said there was no breach of the platform’s systems. However, security analysts call the incident concerning. Others are blaming Elon Musk for the incident and the lack of security measures on the platform.

“Something like that, where you can take over the SEC account and potentially affect the value of bitcoin in the market – there’s a massive opportunity for disinformation,” said Austin Berglas, a former cybersecurity official at the FBI’s New York office and a senior executive at the security firm BlueVoyant.

The fake SEC announcement caused massive volatility in the Bitcoin price, causing over $140 million in total liquidation in hours, according to data by Coinglass. BTC price currently trades under $46,000 after the fake SEC post.

The SEC is now working with law enforcement and others in the government to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, Congressional members seek answers from the SEC and Gensler about the blunder.

Also Read:

Share
Varinder Singh

Varinder has over 10 years of experience and is known as a seasoned leader for his involvement in the fintech sector. With over 5 years dedicated to blockchain, crypto, and Web3 developments, he has experienced two Bitcoin halving events making him key opinion leader in the space. At CoinGape Media, Varinder leads the editorial decisions, spearheading the news team to cover latest updates, markets trends and developments within the crypto industry. The company was recognized as Best Crypto Media Company 2024 for high impact and quality reporting. Being a Master of Technology degree holder, analytics thinker, technology enthusiast, Varinder has shared his knowledge of disruptive technologies in over 5000+ news, articles, and papers.

Published by

Recent Posts

  • Blockchain News

Just-In: Securitize Partners Jupiter & Jump Trading To Launch US Tokenized Equities On Solana

A new partnership between Securitize, Jump Trading Group, and Jupiter Exchange aims to introduce regulated…

May 5, 2026
  • Crypto News

GENIUS Act: Circle Seeks Clear Divide Between Payment Stablecoins and Tokenized Deposits

USDC issuer Circle has submitted a comment letter on the Office of the Comptroller of…

May 5, 2026
  • Crypto News

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Says He’s Never Been an ‘XRP Maxi’, Backs Bitcoin And Other Chains

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has clarified that he has never been an XRP maxi, even…

May 5, 2026
  • Crypto News

Ripple Former CTO Breaks Silence On Allegations of Selling XRP For Company Profit

Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has addressed renewed criticism of the relationship between Ripple and…

May 5, 2026
  • Crypto News

Bullish Eyes $4.2B Acquisition in Tokenization Push, BLSH Stock Slips

Crypto exchange Bullish (BLSH) is once again making headlines in the crypto news column amid…

May 5, 2026
  • Crypto News

Just-In: Coinbase Cuts Workforce By 14% In AI Shift Ahead Q1 Earnings

CEO Brian Armstrong has announced a massive workforce reduction at Coinbase. The exchange is reducing…

May 5, 2026