SEC claims “SIM swap” technique used in hacking X account to post fake spot Bitcoin ETF approval

Source Fxstreet
  • The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stated that the regulator's telecom carrier was at the core of the hack.
  • The SIM swap attack resulted in the X-authorized phone number being transferred to another phone.
  • Bitcoin price rallied by 7% following the fake spot Bitcoin ETF approval and has not noted a rise as significant since then.

The last time Bitcoin price rallied was owing to a fake post about the spot Bitcoin ETF receiving approval, for which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) received considerable flak. In response to this hack, the SEC stated it would be conducting an investigation, and per the recent findings, the regulator claims it is not at fault.

SEC sheds blame

In a statement on Monday, the regulatory body stated that the hack that occurred on January 8 was the result of a "SIM swap" attack. A SIM swap attack occurs when a hacker tricks a telecom provider into transferring a victim's phone number to a new SIM card under the attacker's control. This allows the attacker to intercept sensitive information, such as two-factor authentication codes, and gain unauthorized access to the victim's accounts and data.

The SEC faced a similar situation when the hacker gained control of the SEC cell phone number associated with the X account. The regulatory body added,

"Access to the phone number occurred via the telecom carrier, not via SEC systems. SEC staff have not identified any evidence that the unauthorized party gained access to SEC systems, data, devices, or other social media accounts."

Generally, social media accounts are protected by a feature known as multi-factor authorization (MFA), which prevents hacking via a simple password reset. The SEC had disabled this owing to access issues back in July 2023 and only enabled it following the hack. Had this been done beforehand, the market would have been saved from the millions of dollars of liquidations it witnessed.

Bitcoin price still awaiting bullish catalyst

Bitcoin price shot up by close to 7% on January 8, the day when the SEC's X account was hacked and the false spot Bitcoin ETF tweet was posted. After realizing the situation, the market practiced caution over the next couple of days, barely reacting on the day when the ETFs were officially approved by the regulator on January 10.

BTC/USD 1-day chart

BTC/USD 1-day chart

BTC has not seen a rally since then; instead, most of the price action has been concentrated toward a decline, and the cryptocurrency is currently hovering around $40,000, awaiting a strong bullish catalyst to push Bitcoin back up toward $47,000.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Bitcoin Price Bounces Back—Can It Finally Break Resistance?Bitcoin price started a recovery wave above the $83,500 zone. BTC is now consolidating and might struggle to settle above the $85,500 zone. Bitcoin started a decent recovery wave above the $83,500
Author  NewsBTC
Apr 02, Wed
Bitcoin price started a recovery wave above the $83,500 zone. BTC is now consolidating and might struggle to settle above the $85,500 zone. Bitcoin started a decent recovery wave above the $83,500
placeholder
U.S. March Nonfarm Payroll Preview: Even If Data Aligns with Expectations, Financial Markets May Not Escape the Fate of VolatilityOn 4 April 2025, the United States will release its March Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data. The market consensus currently anticipates job growth of 128,000, a decline from February’s 151,000 (Figure 1). W
Author  TradingKey
Apr 02, Wed
On 4 April 2025, the United States will release its March Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data. The market consensus currently anticipates job growth of 128,000, a decline from February’s 151,000 (Figure 1). W
placeholder
Japanese Yen spikes to multi-week high against USD after Trump’s tariffs announcementThe Japanese Yen (JPY) jumped to a three-week top against its American counterpart during the Asian session on Thursday after US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping trade tariffs.
Author  FXStreet
23 hours ago
The Japanese Yen (JPY) jumped to a three-week top against its American counterpart during the Asian session on Thursday after US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping trade tariffs.
placeholder
Bitcoin price reacts as Gold sets fresh record highs after Trump’s reciprocal tariffs announcementBitcoin price plunges towards $82,000 as Gold soars past $3,150 after US President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on Israel and UK, triggering global markets turbulence.
Author  FXStreet
23 hours ago
Bitcoin price plunges towards $82,000 as Gold soars past $3,150 after US President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on Israel and UK, triggering global markets turbulence.
placeholder
Bitcoin Price Forecast: Tariff volatility sweeps over $200 billion from crypto marketsBitcoin (BTC) price hovers around $83,000 at the time of writing on Thursday after it failed to close above a critical resistance level the previous day.
Author  FXStreet
16 hours ago
Bitcoin (BTC) price hovers around $83,000 at the time of writing on Thursday after it failed to close above a critical resistance level the previous day.
Related Instrument
goTop
quote