Solana
Metallica’s X account hacked to promote Solana crypto scam
The official X account of legendary heavy metal band Metallica was briefly compromised to promote a crypto scam. Hackers took the opportunity to promote a fraudulent Solana-based token (SOL) with the ticker METAL on Tuesday evening (June 25).
THE Unauthorized messages now deleted claimed a partnership with Ticketmaster and participation from financial technology company MoonPay. However, both companies quickly distanced themselves from the project. MoonPay President Keith Grossman explicitly refused any connection:
If someone offers you a $METAL token, they are not the puppet master, they are the scam master! 🎸
Keep your keys safe and drive lightning responsibly!⚡️
Hackers attempted to lure potential buyers by promising exclusive perks such as free concert tickets, custom gaming consoles, and merchandise in exchange for METAL tokens. In another message deleted even suggested that the token would offer staking rewards.
Metallica’s Crypto Scam Token
Despite these claims, the token’s value plummeted shortly after its launch. Based on Dexscreener data, METAL’s total value briefly peaked at $3.37 million before collapsing to around $90,000 within three hours. The price has fallen almost 100% from its high point.
The Metallica team has since regained control of the X account and deleted all posts related to the fake token. The group and its management have yet to comment on the incident, and the method of the account breach remains unclear.
This event serves as a reminder of the ongoing risks of cryptocurrency scams and the importance of verifying information from official sources, even when it appears to come from verified accounts of well-known entities.
The report follows leaks in early June suggesting that Metallica is considering holding a concert in Fortnite.