Kylie Jenner's Official X Account Hacked and Tricks Fans Into Buying Fake Crypto Token

Kylie Jenner's verified X account was reportedly compromised and apparently used to promote a cryptocurrency token that rapidly gained value before suffering a sharp decline.

The account, with 39.5 million followers, shared posts directing users to a Solana-based meme coin. The post was later removed.

The token, named kylie, was promoted through posts from Jenner's X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, 24 August.

One post directed followers to a Pump.fun profile named 'cutekienner,' while another provided the token's Solana contract address. Both posts were later deleted. The unusual posts quickly prompted crypto observers to suspect that the account had been hacked.

Token Value Soars After Celebrity Account Posts

The promotion had an immediate effect on the newly launched token. According to market data cited by crypto news outlets, its market capitalisation climbed to between $1.19 million (about £873,000) and $1.21 million (roughly £887,000) shortly after the posts appeared on the platform. That rise was followed by a sharp fall once the posts disappeared from Jenner's account.

Be(In)Crypto reported that the token later lost about 68 per cent of its market value, while Crypto Briefing put the fall at more than 90 per cent from its reported peak, reflecting different points in the token's rapid price movement.

At one stage, its value fell below $120,000 (approximately £89,000) after the promotional posts were removed. The sharp reversal left traders facing heavy losses if they had bought near the top.

Deleted Posts Prompt Questions Over Crypto Scam

The recent incident involving Kylie Jenner's account being reportedly hacked and used in a crypto scam resembles other reported cases in which compromised celebrity or high-profile social media accounts were used to promote cryptocurrency schemes.

In January 2024, hackers took control of the US Securities and Exchange Commission's X account and posted a false message claiming that the agency had approved bitcoin exchange-traded funds. The SEC said the post was unauthorised and attributed it to a SIM-swap attack, in which control of the account's phone number was obtained.

A similar incident took place in June 2024, when hackers accessed rapper 50 Cent's account and used it to promote a Solana-based token called GUNIT. It was reported that the token's value briefly surged before collapsing, with the rapper saying he had not been involved in the promotion.

In July 2023, hackers also compromised the high-profile X account of blockchain company CertiK and posted a fraudulent warning about a security vulnerability, directing users to a malicious link, per CoinDesk.

These cases provide the basis for describing the Jenner incident as part of a recurring tactic in which attackers exploit trusted accounts, leverage the account's audience (followers) to generate rapid attention, and direct them toward a financial product or link. The comparison does not establish that the same individuals were responsible in each case, and the exact method used to access Jenner's account had not been publicly confirmed.

Neither Kylie Jenner nor her representatives have confirmed how the account was accessed or identified the responsible parties. The absence of an official explanation means the exact method used to gain control of the account remains unclear.