TRON DAO's X social media account was hacked on May 2, 2025, prompting swift action from the blockchain organization. According to the TRON team, the breach resulted from a social engineering attack targeting a team member rather than a technical vulnerability.
The hacker gained access to the verified account, posted a malicious contract address, and sent unsolicited direct messages to followers.
The attacker used the TRON DAO account to spread phishing content, including a scam contract address. In addition, several direct messages were sent to unsuspecting users, and suspicious accounts were followed. TRON DAO quickly responded by reclaiming control of its X account. The team emphasized that TRON DAO authorized no messages or contract addresses sent on May 2.
Once access was restored, the hacker continued exploiting the situation, attempting to solicit payments for fraudulent services using the compromised account. On May 2, TRON DAO urged users to delete any direct messages received from its X account, marking them as the attacker's work. The platform also identified suspicious X and Telegram accounts linked to the hackers and collaborated with law enforcement to trace and apprehend those responsible.
In response to the attack, TRON CEO Justin Sun quickly requested that OKX freeze the stolen funds, which the hacker had transferred. The stolen assets from the theft were deposited into an OKX wallet, triggering Sun to approach OKX for help and stopping the funds’ continued movement.
After submitting sufficient evidence, OKX CEO Star Xu confirmed that a temporary freeze would be activated. Xu instructed Sun to provide legal paperwork to sustain the locking process. Cryptocurrency exchanges demonstrate team-based actions to handle security breaches that affect their industry.
Moreover, the attack on TRON DAO emphasizes the essential role of exchange collaboration for protecting vulnerabilities against exploitation. Exchange platforms like Binance frequently unite to retrieve stolen assets as part of their industry-wide commitment to minimize cyber attack effects. For instance, in the KiloEx hack, Binance successfully retrieved 90% of the stolen assets with exchange partnerships to efficiently defend against cyberattacks.