Hackers briefly took control of Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's X account on Thursday, using it to promote a fraudulent memecoin called 'Vladhood.' The attack is part of a string of high-profile social media compromises that have targeted crypto audiences this year.
What happened on X
The unauthorized posts appeared on Tenev's account around midday Eastern Time, urging followers to buy the newly created 'Vladhood' token. The posts were live for roughly 20 minutes before being deleted. Robinhood confirmed the account was compromised and said it has since been secured. The company did not say how the hackers gained access.
Why this keeps happening
This isn't an isolated incident. Over the past several months, hackers have hijacked the X accounts of multiple crypto executives and projects to shill fake tokens or phishing links. The pattern suggests attackers are specifically targeting high-follower accounts in the crypto space, where a single post can move markets and drain liquidity from unsuspecting buyers.
Robinhood has not announced any changes to its security protocols or whether it will cooperate with law enforcement. The company is expected to release a more detailed statement in the coming days. For now, the 'Vladhood' token appears to have been a short-lived scam — but the broader vulnerability remains unresolved.
