Cardano has issued a warning following the emergence of a fraudulent livestream featuring a deepfake of its founder, Charles Hoskinson. The stream, which aired on September 18, falsely presented itself as a public meeting for the Catalyst initiative—a decentralized fund that supports innovation and community projects.
Running for almost two hours, the video included misleading claims of life-changing opportunities and displayed a QR code associated with the scam.
In response, Hoskinson communicated the situation to followers on social media, urging them to steer clear of any content on the compromised YouTube channel. He stated, "The IOG YouTube apparently has been compromised. Do not trust any videos or click on any links. Working with YouTube to take it down and reset credentials," emphasizing the necessity for caution.
