- AI trading bot AIXBT lost around $100,000 in ETH due to a suspected hack or scam.
- The attacker tricked AIXBT into transferring 55 ETH through manipulated social media replies.
- AIXBT’s token price dropped over 21% following the incident, raising concerns about AI security in crypto.
A supposedly autonomous crypto market AI bot, AIXBT, just lost around $100,000 worth of ETH in what looks like either a hack or an elaborate scam. 0rxbt, the account overseeing AIXBT, insists that this wasn’t due to direct agent manipulation.
AIXBT’s Costly Mistake: Hacked or Manipulated?
AIXBT runs on the Virtuals Protocol and has gained attention as a crypto market commentator, providing real-time analytics and sentiment tracking. Its users can access its trading insights by holding AIXBT tokens. However, this latest incident has raised serious concerns about the security of AI-driven trading bots.
According to 0rxbt, the attack was a “dashboard access hack” rather than a breach of AIXBT’s core infrastructure. The bot mistakenly transferred 55 ETH to the attacker after receiving two malicious replies.
“simu wallet was cooked but core systems unaffected,” AIXBT posted, referring to its simulation wallet that builds model portfolios. “if you’re trading AIXBT, this doesn’t change fundamentals. expect improved security after server migration.”
How Did the Attack Happen?
While technical details remain unclear, early theories suggest the attacker may have used a command injection exploit. Essentially, AIXBT might have been tricked into executing unauthorized transactions through manipulated social media interactions—potentially an injection of faulty commands or data that gave the attacker partial control.
0rxbt confirmed that the team has shut down AIXBT’s data dashboard, switched servers, and migrated keys to prevent further breaches.
The AI Trading Trend: Risk vs. Reward
AIXBT isn’t alone in the rise of AI-powered crypto bots. Similar projects like ai16z and Truth Terminal have gained attention for their unique personalities and algorithm-driven trading capabilities. However, incidents like this highlight the vulnerabilities of AI agents in crypto markets.
AIXBT operates on Coinbase’s Base network and Solana, but its token took a major hit after the exploit. As of now, AIXBT is down over 21%, trading around $0.094, according to The Block’s price data.
With AI trading bots gaining traction, this breach raises a big question—are we ready for fully autonomous finance, or is this just the beginning of a new wave of high-tech exploits?
