The year 2024 has witnessed many hacks and scams that made global headlines, sending shockwaves throughout the crypto community. From the $290 million ‘PlayDapp’ hack in South Korea to $300 Million ‘DMM Bitcoin’ Hack in Japan to the recent $230 Million hack of WazirX exchange in India, the initial six months have been a bloodbath.Â
But for every nefarious hacker, scammer or rugger trying to disrupt the crypto ecosystem there are also vigilantes active on social media who keep warning users about them, teaching users how to safely navigate through the crypto world.
In this special article, we will mention top five crypto investigators active on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) whom you should follow to stay ahead of the scam curve.Â
Top Five Crypto Sleuths To Follow
ZachXBT
ZachXBT is a well-known individual in the crypto community who is revered as a guardian angel. They are well known for their proficiency in on-chain analysis and investigations into fraudulent activities. Under the alias X (@zachxbt), he has accumulated more than 600,000 followers.
ZachXBT has been instrumental in exposing fraudulent projects, actors, and schemes in the blockchain sector thanks to their meticulous efforts in tracking and tracing digital assets around the network. Due to ZachXBT’s reputation as a digital investigator, those involved in unethical actions within the cryptocurrency business are held accountable and fearful.
ZachXBT has uncovered various scams and hacks include the SaveTheKids token scam, the $62 million NFT game theft, the Poly Network stealing, the $7.5 Million BitBNS hack and many others.Â
Cryptoforensic Investigators
Another prominent account to follow is the Cryptoforensics investigators with the handle @CFInvestigators with over 500k followers.Â
Headed by Pau Sibenik, Cryptoforensic Investigators is a group of seasoned blockchain forensics and investigation specialists who have worked on hundreds of well-known cases of hacks, phishing attempts and scams.Â
Tens of millions of dollars worth of bitcoin have been recovered thanks largely to the investigative work and activities of our detectives. Their team members have also been called expert witnesses in some well-known instances.
SpreekawayÂ
Spreekaway is an independent researcher and consultant. @Spreekaway ‘s Twitter feed is a treasure trove of almost real-time information on some of the most well-known on-chain incidents and their regulatory ramifications. They are one of the first detectives to find and notify the public about the Nomad bridge hack.
If you want accurate, live analysis of hacks and scams going around the world, Spreekaway is definitely an account you should follow.
Elliptic (@elliptic)Â
A leading blockchain analytics firm, Elliptic provides first-hand information on cryptocurrency intelligence, compliance news about financial institutions, government agencies, and other crypto-related businesses. These functions, they do through real-time monitoring, risk scoring and other crypto detection tools.Â
SlowMistÂ
SlowMist is a pioneer in blockchain security, having spent years becoming experts in threat intelligence.
Security audits, threat intelligence, defense deployment, security consultants, and other security-related services are just a few of the many services that SlowMist provides. They provide SaaS products such as Safe Staking, FireWall.x (a smart contract firewall), SlowMist Hacked (crypto hack archives), Vulpush (vulnerability monitoring), AML (anti-money laundering) software, and more.
They collaborate with domestic and foreign companies, including IPIP, RC3, BitDefender, FireEye, Akamai, and TianJi Partners.
Conclusion
While there are many more X accounts to follow, these compiled five are at the top of the list, and they are your go-to for news and information related to crypto and other financial listings that you might want to explore or invest in. However, it is also imperative that you do your research before investing in any crypto asset. This will save you a lot of time and money.
Also Read: What Went Wrong with WazirX? Unraveling India’s biggest crypto hack