Cardano's Official YouTube Channel Hijacked: Hoskinson Warns Against 'Double ADA' Scam
Key Takeaways
- •Charles Hoskinson confirmed on X that Input Output's official YouTube channel was compromised and advised users to avoid its videos and links while YouTube works to remove the content and reset credentials.
- •The hijacked channel streamed a fake 'double your wealth' giveaway presented as a 'Project Catalyst' town hall, featuring AI-generated speech and an on-screen QR code that directed viewers to a phishing website.
- •The phishing site was designed to harvest seed phrases, allowing attackers to restore victims' wallets on their own devices and drain funds without needing access to the victims' hardware.
- •The fraudulent broadcast remained live for roughly three hours with hundreds of viewers watching, and potential financial losses could reach millions of dollars if the takeover is not resolved quickly.
- •The method of the breach and the identity of the perpetrators remain unknown, while Cardano traded at $0.2151 with 9% daily gains, showing no price impact from the incident.
The official YouTube channel of Cardano (ADA) development firm Input Output (IOG) has been hijacked, exposing the network's YouTube viewers to an ongoing scam, according to founder Charles Hoskinson. In an alert posted on X, Hoskinson urged users to steer clear of the compromised channel while the platform works to regain control.
"Do not trust any videos or click on any links on it. Working with YouTube to take it down and reset credentials," Hoskinson wrote.
Cardano Founder Warns Against Any Interaction
Hoskinson was referring to Input Output's official YouTube channel, which began spilling out one counterfeit, Hoskinson-themed video after another. All interaction with the channel should be avoided until further notice, as YouTube's investigation team is handling the hijacking.
The incident kicked off when the Cardano channel's livestream started broadcasting a "double your wealth" offer. Livestreamed "doubling" giveaways are among the most familiar scam formats in the crypto industry, typically leaning on cloned or AI-manipulated footage of well-known executives to borrow credibility the broadcasts have not earned — which is why a trusted project account airing such content is a red flag itself.
"The IOG YouTube apparently has been compromised. Do not trust any videos or click on any links on it. Working with YouTube to take it down and reset credentials."
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) on X, September 18, 2026
The fraudulent video montage showed a counterfeit Charles Hoskinson, assisted by AI-generated speech and an on-screen QR code, steering victims of the scam toward a phishing website that can immediately drain all personal crypto data, including seed phrases. A seed phrase acts as the master recovery key to a wallet, so once it is entered on a phishing page, attackers can restore the wallet on their own devices and empty its funds without needing access to the victim's hardware. So far, there is no immediate explanation of how the channel was obtained or who the culprits might be.
How the Cardano YouTube Hack Lured Investors In
The hijackers posed as hosts of a "Project Catalyst" town hall. Because Cardano's Input Output account has years of trust built up, a fake livestream or link posted from it looks native rather than suspicious — the same dynamic that makes account takeovers of official project channels a recurring and costly problem across the crypto space. The messages may appear convincing and lure in investors expecting to make a quick buck. First, the scammers ask viewers to connect their wallet, then specify the amount they want "to double." That sequence follows the standard giveaway-scam playbook: any crypto sent toward a promised "doubling" goes straight to attacker-controlled addresses, and blockchain transactions cannot be reversed once confirmed.
⚡ CARDANO IOG YOUTUBE CHANNEL HACKED 🔸 $Cardano డెవలపర్ అయిన IOG తమ అఫీషియల్ YouTube Channel హ్యాక్ అయిందని హెచ్చరించింది. 🔸 హ్యాకర్లు ఆ ఛానెల్ను కంట్రోల్లోకి తీసుకుని, Charles Hoskinson యొక్క AI-manipulated వీడియోలతో నకిలీ crypto giveaway scam రన్ చేస్తున్నట్లు తెలిపింది.… pic.twitter.com/EM9x3u2qb4
— Pocket Crypto Telugu (@PocketCryptoTE) on X, September 18, 2026
A sophisticated scam of this kind may loot millions of dollars from investors, given that the fraudulent broadcast has been live for roughly three hours on YouTube. Hundreds of viewers were watching the livestream at the time of writing, while Cardano's developers once again reminded users that legitimate giveaways never require sending cryptocurrency first.
At press time, Cardano (ADA) had recorded 9% in daily gains, trading at $0.2151, according to SoSoValue's data. The YouTube hack did not have an impact on Cardano's price, but the estimated financial damage may run into the millions if the hijacking is not resolved immediately with restored true ownership credentials. Until then, the channel's takedown, the credential reset Hoskinson described, and any account of how the takeover occurred remain the developments to watch, as no explanation of the breach has emerged yet.
Source: DailyCoin
