Input Output Global (IOG) warned Cardano users on Sept. 18 to avoid its official YouTube channel after an apparent hijacking resulted in a fraudulent livestream featuring what was described as a suspected AI-manipulated Charles Hoskinson video.
The broadcast, presented as a Project Catalyst town hall, promised viewers they could “double your wealth” by following instructions linked through a QR code. IOG used its official X account to tell users not to click links, send funds, or share personal information, and to avoid the channel “until further notice.” At the time of the warning, the suspicious livestream had already been online for nearly two hours.
No evidence shows Hoskinson or Project Catalyst authorized the promotion. IOG has not publicly confirmed how the channel was compromised, whether multifactor authentication was bypassed, or whether other corporate accounts were affected. It also has not published any wallet address associated with the fraud or verified any losses tied to the incident.
The scam follows a long-documented pattern: Cardano’s scam guidance warns that fraudulent streams often use fake Hoskinson videos and promise to double ADA holdings. The Cardano Foundation documented similar YouTube giveaway scams as early as 2020. A community forum post from 2022 described a user who self-reported losing 10,000 ADA after a fake Hoskinson-themed broadcast. In December 2024, the Cardano Foundation’s X account was separately compromised and used to falsely claim the SEC had sued the organization.
Project Catalyst is a genuine Cardano community-funding program, which has reported 2,221 funded proposals across completed rounds. Its branding gave the fake livestream a trustworthy appearance. IOG had previously been the program’s operator; by June 2026, administration had transferred to the Cardano Foundation, with 2.06 million ADA returned to the treasury.
Although the video has been described as AI-manipulated, no forensic report has confirmed how it was produced. IOG itself has experimented with AI-generated content, but that work is unrelated to the hijack. At the time of reporting, IOG had not announced that the channel had been recovered.
