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In a brazen crypto scam, Binance co-CEO Yi He’s long-dormant WeChat account was compromised on December 9, 2025, and exploited to promote the obscure BNB Chain meme coin Mubarakah (MUBARA). The breach, which occurred just days after Yi He’s elevation to co-CEO alongside Richard Teng, underscores the persistent vulnerabilities in Web2 social platforms amid surging meme coin hype.
Hackers accessed the account via an old phone number Yi He no longer controls, posting endorsements on WeChat Moments to her Chinese-speaking followers. This triggered a rapid pump: MUBARA’s price skyrocketed over 900% from $0.001 to $0.008, ballooning its market cap from under $1 million to $8 million. On-chain sleuths at Lookonchain revealed the attackers pre-positioned by creating two wallets (0x6739… and 0xD0B8…) seven hours prior, deploying 19,479 USDT to snag 21.16 million tokens. They dumped during the frenzy, pocketing ~$55,000 in illicit gains before the token crashed to ~$0.003 and a $3.1 million cap. Yi He confirmed she hasn’t used WeChat in years and couldn’t recover access; posts were swiftly deleted. Crucially, no Binance systems or internal data were affected.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) swiftly alerted the community on X: “Someone hacked @heyibinance’s WeChat account. Do not buy meme coins from the hackers’ posts. Web 2 social media security is not that strong. Stay safu!” He stressed verifying sources and enabling robust protections, noting even executives aren’t immune to targeted phishing.
Meme coins like MUBARA thrive on FOMO but breed fraud: pump-and-dumps exploit endorsements, while lax regulation enables rug pulls. This follows similar hacks, like Drake’s 2024 X breach for a fake token. As BNB Chain booms with memes, such incidents erode trust.
1. **DYOR Always:** Cross-check tips; ignore unsolicited DMs or endorsements.
2. **Fortify Accounts:** Use 2FA, app-based authenticators, and monitor old linked numbers.
3. **Dodge Links:** Avoid clicking from “friends”—confirm via alternate channels.
4. **Act Fast:** Report breaches to platforms and warn contacts immediately.
Yi He’s hack spotlights crypto’s cyber frontier: personal lapses can fuel multimillion-dollar scams overnight. With meme mania escalating, CZ’s call to “stay safu” is a rallying cry for vigilance. Investors, prioritize security over hype—digital assets demand it.
