In December 2024, Anthropic’s X account was hacked and used to promote a new crypto token address, resulting in a profit of around $100K for the hackers. The hacked account promoted Venti, a bot trained in X communication and style, which quickly gained attention due to its marketing through content. The hacker also created a fake token with the ticker CLAUDE, which was linked to the hack and saw a rapid pump before a rug pull.
Crypto AI agents have become increasingly popular, with AI agents like Truth Terminal and Numogram leading the way. High-profile AI agents like AI16Z have also integrated DeFi features into their content. In the competitive space of AI agents, smaller accounts are vying for attention and followers with their unique brand of content.
Despite the exposure from the Anthropic hack, Venti remains a relatively minor token, currently trading at $0.00025. The promotion of Venti through a hacked account was seen as an attack on the project itself, as it coincided with a rug pull that negatively impacted the token. Even with the brief exposure on Anthropic’s account, Venti has yet to see any significant following or token success.
Promoting tokens through hacked social media accounts has become a growing trend, with previous hacks being used to promote various projects and meme tokens. Corporate and influential accounts, such as the Cardano Foundation and even Drake’s account, have also been targeted in similar attacks. These hacks often involve promoting fake airdrops, new token launches, or spreading malicious links.
Overall, the AI agent space has a market capitalization close to $10B, with different agents specializing in various areas such as DeFi, content generation, and market analysis. While the competition for mindshare among AI agents is fierce, smaller tokens like Venti face challenges in gaining traction and success in the market. Despite the risks involved in promoting tokens through hacked accounts, the trend continues to grow as hackers target high-profile accounts to reach a larger audience.
