YouTube mistake: $60,000 looted from this crypto influencer!

“Not your key, not your coin”, cryptocurrency investors keep chanting. In other words, when keys are secure, assets remain safe from any theft or hoarding initiative. However, Ivan Bianco, a Brazilian crypto influencer, inadvertently exposed his private keys. The result: a good part of his cryptocurrency holdings evaporated.

In brief:

• Crypto influencer hacked for $60,000 in NFT and cryptocurrencies after inadvertently exposing his private keys on YouTube
• After police questioning, the hacker returned some of his property.

YouTuber Ivan Bianco loses $60,000 in crypto and NFT

While the ink we used to report the Curve Finance and Multichain hacks hasn’t yet dried, here’s a new case of cryptocurrency theft.

It involves a Brazilian influencer, followed by around 34,000 followers on YouTube, whose crypto and NFT holdings have been siphoned off. Ivan Bianco, host of the Fraternidade Crypto channel, was unable to save his digital assets last week after making a mistake while presenting tips for creating new crypto wallets.

According to ZyCrypto, the man accidentally revealed a document containing his private keys during his presentation. As a result, the crypto pirates took the opportunity to offer themselves:

87,000 MATIC, $50,460;

3.35 ETH, $5,750;

and several high-value NFTs. “I can’t believe I showed the private download (file containing the private keys) and the person sent it quickly. I tried to stop the live, but I didn’t have time because I had to create a new wallet, and that took 3–5 minutes… He stole all the money,” Bianco laments.

Crypto influencer saved by the bell

Regret, despair and tears… so much pain afflicted our crypto trading advisor after noticing the damage. Once back to his senses, Mr. Bianco called in the local authorities to track down the malefactor.

But magic happened some time later. An undisclosed individual contacted the cryptocurrency influencer via Discord. Aware of the misfortune inflicted on Ivan Bianco, the hacker returned 86,600 MATIC, the equivalent of $46,700 (if we take into account the price of this Polygon-native crypto at the time of writing.

Not all of the stolen digital assets, but a good portion of them. A nice initiative to copy the modus operandi of Curve Finance, which kept several million dollars in its wallet.

This turn of events has raised doubts among his followers. Is this a cleverly orchestrated strategy to gain popularity?

Alerted to the situation, the crypto influencer shot a video in which he highlighted the authenticity of the incident. He also stressed that the tears shed were not those of a crocodile. At present, he and the police force continue to work together to recover the remaining ETH and NFT.

“I have complete confidence in our law enforcement agencies and am confident that they will bring those responsible to justice. I hope my experience will serve as a warning to all members of the crypto community about the importance of protecting their private keys and being vigilant in the face of potential threats,” he warned.

“Not your key, not your crypto”, we began this presentation. Basically, if you can optimally secure your private keys, no one will be able to get their hands on your bitcoin, ether or other digital assets. Otherwise, you can hide them in reliable media such as Ledger’s hardware wallet. Alternatively, take a look at SafePal’s Cypher wallet.