X to Auto-Lock and Verify Accounts Posting Crypto Content for the First Time
Nikita Bier, a product advisor at X, says the platform will detect first-time crypto posters with large followings and require account ownership verification — directly targeting one of the most common vectors for crypto scams.
X is preparing to automatically lock accounts that post crypto content for the first time, requiring those users to verify account ownership before their posts can be seen. The update was announced by Nikita Bier, a product advisor at the platform, in response to widespread criticism about crypto scams tied to compromised high-follower accounts.
“If you have more than 10k followers and you drop a meme coin without any prior connection to crypto, it is always a hack.”
— Nikita Bier, Product Advisor, X
Bier’s statement directly addressed a Community Notes flag that challenged the original Cointelegraph report, clarifying that X’s system is specifically targeting a well-known attack pattern: bad actors gain access to large, established accounts with no history in crypto, then use those accounts to promote fraudulent meme coins or token schemes to unsuspecting followers.
How the New System Works
According to Bier, the detection mechanism focuses on a specific behavioral signal — accounts with significant followings that have no prior connection to crypto suddenly posting meme coin content. Under the new policy, those accounts will be automatically locked and required to complete an ownership verification step before the posts go live.
The goal, as Bier described it, is to “reduce the incentive to phish X accounts” — addressing the financial motive behind account takeovers. If bad actors can no longer easily monetize a hacked account by pushing a token launch, the value of stealing those accounts drops significantly.
Key Points
- →X will auto-lock accounts posting crypto content for the first time if they have over 10,000 followers
- →Account ownership verification will be required before locked posts can go live
- →The system specifically targets accounts with no prior crypto history — a signature pattern of hacked accounts
- →The policy aims to reduce the financial incentive for phishing and account takeovers
- →Nikita Bier corrected a Community Notes flag, clarifying the system’s intent and scope
Why This Matters
Crypto scams tied to compromised social media accounts have cost users millions of dollars over the past several years. The pattern is well-established: a high-profile account is phished or hacked, the attacker quickly posts token promotion content to the account’s existing audience, and followers who trust the account buy in before the fraud is detected. The entire cycle can play out in minutes.
X’s approach — intervening at the moment of first crypto post rather than after the fact — is a meaningful shift from reactive moderation to predictive detection. It doesn’t require X to evaluate whether a token is legitimate; it simply flags the behavioral anomaly and pauses until a human confirms they control the account.
This announcement follows a broader push by X under its current leadership to crack down on financial scams on the platform. It comes as regulators in multiple jurisdictions continue to scrutinize social media platforms’ roles in facilitating crypto fraud.
The policy is likely to have minimal impact on legitimate crypto-native accounts, which will have established posting history in the space. The burden falls almost entirely on the attack vector the system is designed to close.
