Social platform X is weighing new restrictions on accounts that mention cryptocurrency for the first time as part of an effort to curb phishing-driven scams. The company announced the proposal on Wednesday.
Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, said first-time crypto mentions could trigger an automatic lock on the account and require verification before further posting. Bier argued the measure would remove much of the incentive for scammers and urged stronger email-phishing protections, suggesting current safeguards from some providers are inadequate.
The proposal follows a recent fraud incident in which an account impersonating the veterinarian of Jonathan, a long-lived tortoise, shared a link to a Solana-based memecoin alongside a false claim that the animal had died. BBC and other outlets later debunked the story and confirmed Jonathan is alive. CoinMarketCap data showed the token named JONATHAN surged more than 6,000% amid the posts before collapsing; it was trading near $0.00007043 at the time of publication.
The impersonator reportedly solicited crypto donations and directed users to the memecoin, a common tactic used to drive rapid speculative inflows and then exit. Joe Hollins, the real vet, told The Guardian the person posing as him was soliciting crypto and called the stunt a con rather than a prank.
X and other social networks frequently face scams in which anonymous or compromised accounts promote fake tokens, get-rich-quick schemes, or unauthorized coins tied to public figures. Bier’s targeted auto-lock and verification step aims to limit the reach of newly created or breached accounts that push fraudulent crypto links, reflecting rising pressure on platforms to act after high-profile social-media-driven rug pulls and phishing attacks.
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