US man who hacked SEC’s X account to spike Bitcoin price sentenced to prison


Eric Council Jr., 26, was sentenced to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release on Friday for participating in the hack of the official X account of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing in a press release. Council and other hackers took over the SEC’s X account in 2024 to falsely announce that the agency had approved Bitcoin exchange traded funds, or ETFs, which shot up the price of the cryptocurrency before later dropping.

A screenshot of the fake SEC post published by hackers who took over control of the @SECGov X account on January 9, 2024.
A screenshot of the fake SEC post published by hackers who took over control of the @SECGov X account on January 9, 2024

According to the DOJ, Council and his co-conspirators performed a SIM swap attack against the cellphone account of a person who had access to the SEC’s X account, which allowed the hackers to take control of their phone number. From there, the hackers reset the password of the SEC’s X account, granting them control of the account. 



  • Related Posts

    Congress might block state AI laws for a decade. Here’s what it means.
    • June 27, 2025

    A federal proposal that would ban states and local governments from regulating AI for 10 years could soon be signed into law, as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other lawmakers…

    Continue reading
    Google launches Doppl, a new app that lets you visualize how an outfit might look on you
    • June 26, 2025

    Google is launching a new experimental app called Doppl that uses AI to visualize how different outfits might look on you, the company announced on Thursday. The app is available…

    Continue reading

    Random News

    Qatar emphasises peaceful resolution of conflicts after DRC-Rwanda deal | Conflict News

    • By gonews
    • June 27, 2025
    • 1 views
    Qatar emphasises peaceful resolution of conflicts after DRC-Rwanda deal | Conflict News

    Congress might block state AI laws for a decade. Here’s what it means.

    • By gonews
    • June 27, 2025
    • 1 views
    Congress might block state AI laws for a decade. Here’s what it means.

    Score Big with Cooper Flagg’s Dallas Mavericks Jersey: Where to Grab Yours Now!

    • By gonews
    • June 27, 2025
    • 2 views
    Score Big with Cooper Flagg’s Dallas Mavericks Jersey: Where to Grab Yours Now!

    LIVE BLOG: Israel Kills Civilians in Lebanon, Deliberately Targets Gaza Aid Seekers – Day 630

    • By gonews
    • June 27, 2025
    • 1 views
    LIVE BLOG: Israel Kills Civilians in Lebanon, Deliberately Targets Gaza Aid Seekers – Day 630