SEC’s Twitter/X was hacked to post fake spot Bitcoin ETF approval: Gensler

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that its Twitter/X illustration was hacked connected Jan. 9 to station a mendacious ETF support message.

Gary Gensler, seat of the SEC, wrote:

“The [SEC] twitter relationship was compromised, and an unauthorized tweet was posted. The SEC has not approved the listing and trading of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products.”

The SEC separately removed its archetypal announcement and posted an identical denial, but referred to the societal media level arsenic “X” alternatively than “Twitter.”

Earlier, the SEC’s relationship posted a connection reading:

 “Today the SEC grants support for #Bitcoin ETFs for listing connected each registered nationalist securities exchanges. The approved Bitcoin ETFs volition beryllium taxable to ongoing surveillance and compliance measures to guarantee continued capitalist protection.”

That connection was posted astatine astir 9:30 p.m. UTC connected Jan. 9 and was taken down wrong astir 10 minutes.

SEC mistake attracted backlash

The regulator’s mistake has attracted comments from assorted nationalist figures. Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss implied that the mistake could harm crypto prices, writing: “it would beryllium great if the [SEC] would halt manipulating the Bitcoin market.”

Tech specializer and whistlebower Edward Snowden, meanwhile, wrote to Gensler: “gary get your s—t unneurotic … you had 1 job.” Snowden and assorted different individuals connected X besides highlighted that the SEC antecedently called itself the champion root of accusation connected its ain operations.

It is inactive unclear whether the SEC prepared the archetypal connection successful lawsuit it decides to o.k. a spot Bitcoin ETF successful the coming days. Bloomberg ETF expert Eric Balchunas has speculated that the connection was legitimate, but incorrectly scheduled. His workfellow James Seyffart backed that speculation, noting the seeming authenticity of the SEC’s archetypal tweet.

Balchunas maintained his prediction that the SEC volition assistance a spot Bitcoin ETF support connected Wednesday, Jan. 10. The regulator is required to scope a determination connected Ark Invest’s exertion astatine that time.

The station SEC’s Twitter/X was hacked to station fake spot Bitcoin ETF approval: Gensler appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.