SEC X Account Hack Over Bitcoin ETF Post Leads to Guilty Plea

The US Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington, DC.

Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg
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An Alabama man pleaded guilty to participating in the hack of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s X account that involved sending a fake social media post announcing the authorization of the first-ever spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

Eric Council Jr., 25, admitted to conspiring to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud in Washington federal court on Monday. Judge Amy Berman Jackson set a sentencing date for May 16.