For some tense minutes on Wednesday, X users were surprised to see one of those crypto “airdrop” posts on Andreessen Horowitz’s blue check-marked account. A second tweet said that $5 million had already been given away.
That account has 851,000 followers. A member of a16z’s crypto team saw the tweet and immediately posted a warning not to engage. X quickly took down the post. Airdrops are usually used as ways for cryptocurrencies to promote themselves.
a16z tells TechCrunch, and posted on the account: “Earlier today, our X account was briefly compromised. During that time, the account promoted a token and other fake content — none of which originated from a16z. Apologies for any confusion caused by the clowns who temporarily took over our account.”
a16z is well known for its crypto investments. Because this is a crypto-loving firm, jokes and warning tweets flew: The link would likely drain a crypto wallet, not add to it. So, if it sounds too good to be true — like a VC giving away valuable assets — it isn’t true.
Here’s what the scam tweets looked like:
