Man pleads guilty in hack of SEC’s X account that claimed approval of bitcoin ETFs

Omar Marques | Lightrocket | Getty Images

An Alabama man pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court in connection with the January 2024 hack of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s X account, which was used to falsely claim that the SEC had approved exchange-traded funds for bitcoin.

The man, 25-year-old Eric Council Jr., admitted to conspiring with others who took control of the SEC’s X account, according to the Department of Justice.

The price of bitcoin spiked by more than $1,000 after the bogus tweet by the hackers on Jan. 9, 2024. The SEC quickly regained control of its X account and announced the tweet was false, sending the price of the cryptocurrency down by more than $2,000 per bitcoin.

The hack occurred when the SEC was considering approving ETFs that contain cryptocurrency. A day after the hack, the agency approved rule changes that allowed the creation of bitcoin ETFs.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

Source

Politics

Democrats plan to force Iran war powers vote next week

February 26, 2026

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffires (D-NY) speaks at a press conference on the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images Congressional Democrats will force a vote on a war powers resolution relating to Iran next week, Democratic leadership announced Thursday, as President Donald […]

Politics

Columbia University says DHS detained student after making ‘misrepresentations’

February 26, 2026

Students are seen on the campus of Columbia University in New York City on April 14, 2025. Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images Columbia University said a student was detained by federal agents early Thursday, the latest sign of President Donald Trump’s nationwide escalation of immigration enforcement. The student was taken by Department of […]

Politics

Congress pushes back against Nvidia, White House with chip export limits

February 26, 2026

Republican lawmakers are pushing to place limits on the ability of U.S. companies to sell advanced semiconductors to China — an effort that has run afoul of some key figures in the Trump administration. The effort also pits China hawks on the Hill against Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who has repeatedly made the pitch to […]