Posts revealed passports, cellphone numbers, emails, and a contact named “Arvind”.
ZachXBT says attackers used social engineering to assemble Gokal’s info.
Meta eliminated the posts 90 minutes after the account was compromised.
In a critical cybersecurity breach, Solana co-founder Raj Gokal’s private information has been leaked following the compromise of rapper Migos’ official Instagram account.
The hack, which passed off on Might 25, 2025, included a number of photographs of Gokal and his spouse’s identification paperwork, together with passports and driver’s licences.
The attackers reportedly demanded a ransom of 40 Bitcoin and commenced releasing the content material after their calls for have been unmet.
The incident has sparked widespread concern over information safety, social engineering, and the potential scale of private information publicity linked to broader trade breaches.
Hackers posted KYC photographs and phone information
The compromised Instagram account posted no less than seven images containing Gokal’s private particulars, together with one by which he held up a passport. One other included a caption that learn, “It was solely 40 BTC.. ought to’ve paid.”
A number of posts displayed cellphone numbers and electronic mail addresses, whereas one picture confirmed a person recognized solely as “Arvind,” elevating additional issues in regards to the extent of the information theft.
The posts remained seen for round 90 minutes earlier than Meta took motion to take away them and regain management of the account.
Throughout that window, a Telegram hyperlink was additionally shared in Migos’ altered bio, selling a meme coin and allegedly unreleased music tracks.
Suspected techniques and former warnings
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT steered that the attackers used social engineering techniques over the previous week to focus on Gokal.
He famous that the hackers tried to extort funds utilizing personally identifiable info (PII) acquired earlier than launching their on-line assault.
“They tried to extort him for funds with the PII obtained,” ZachXBT said on X, previously Twitter. “Guess he didn’t pay in order that they began trolling and posted it after they compromised Migos Instagram account in the present day.”
Gokal had already alerted his followers days earlier than the incident.
In a publish on X, he warned that unknown attackers had been making an attempt to entry his electronic mail, Apple ID, Google account, and different digital property.
He cautioned customers to keep away from partaking with suspicious hyperlinks or fund solicitations showing in his title.
Questions raised over Coinbase hyperlink and information origin
The character of the leaked photographs has led some analysts to consider that they could possibly be Know Your Buyer (KYC) verification information, sometimes used for identification affirmation by crypto platforms.
This assumption has fuelled hypothesis that Gokal’s information may be linked to the latest Coinbase information breach.
Earlier in Might, Coinbase disclosed {that a} safety incident had affected roughly 1% of its month-to-month energetic customers. The hackers reportedly demanded a $20 million ransom from the trade.
Though no cost was made, fears have grown that the attackers could have accessed consumer KYC paperwork, together with pictures utilized in self-verification.
“If they’ve the KYC for the founders of Solana, then they’ve the KYC for each single person who ever used their platform,” one analyst wrote.
That is like 10 occasions worse than an everyday KYC leak.
Regardless of the hypothesis, there is no such thing as a verified proof at present linking Gokal’s information leak on to the Coinbase breach.
Each Meta and Gokal have but to launch official statements on the incident, and the precise supply of the compromised info stays unconfirmed.
Meta faces stress amid rising crypto-related account breaches
The incident provides to a rising checklist of high-profile social media breaches involving crypto scams.
Dangerous actors have more and more hijacked verified accounts of celebrities and influencers to shill fraudulent tokens, typically leaving victims with unrecoverable losses.
On this case, nevertheless, the attackers seem to have mixed extortion with public humiliation and promotion, underlining the evolving techniques utilized in crypto-targeted cyberattacks.
Using a well-liked public determine’s compromised Instagram account to leak delicate information raises pressing questions for platforms like Meta on how they’re addressing these breaches.
As of now, the total extent of the knowledge leak, together with whether or not different Solana group members have been affected, stays unknown.
Customers throughout the crypto group are being urged to remain alert, monitor their digital accounts intently, and practise enhanced cybersecurity hygiene in gentle of those developments.
