The founder of DefiLlama says he deliberately let a fake app drain his own crypto wallet, describing it as a tactic to pressure Apple into removing the impersonating application from its App
The founder of DefiLlama says he deliberately let a fake app drain his own crypto wallet, describing it as a tactic to pressure Apple into removing the impersonating application from its App Store.
The pseudonymous founder of the DeFi analytics platform DefiLlama, known as 0xngmi, said an application posing as a legitimate crypto tool drained funds from his wallet, according to his post on X. For related coverage, see Report Says USDC Circulation Fell by $1.7 Billion in 7 Days.
The app is described as a fake or impersonating product rather than a genuine service, and the wallet drain is the central event of the account. The claim is drawn from the founder’s own statement and should be read as his description of events. For related coverage, see Eliza Labs Founder Sells $25M in ElizaOS Tokens After Lawsuit Hits Project.
The episode was also reported by Crypto Briefing, which framed it as the DefiLlama founder exposing a scam app tied to a wallet drain. For related coverage, see Kalshi Nevada Geofencing Fine Fight Escalates.
According to the founder’s stated reasoning, he allowed the drain to proceed in order to build a stronger case for the app’s removal, as reported by Cryptopolitan. For related coverage, see Multicoin Capital Invests $100M+ in Hyperliquid's HYPE Token.
The motive, as he describes it, shifts the incident away from a simple personal-loss story and toward platform accountability. The drain is presented as leverage to compel Apple to act on the fraudulent listing.
That framing is the distinguishing element of the account: the loss was allegedly permitted on purpose, tying the wallet drain directly to app-removal efforts rather than treating it as an accidental compromise.
A fake app reaching users through a major marketplace points to a screening gap, and the risk is not hypothetical. Apple was sued in July 2026 over an alleged App Store crypto scam that reportedly cost users money.
The founder’s account places Apple in the role of the platform being pressured to respond, underscoring how impersonating apps can pass through official distribution channels before removal.
For crypto users, the stakes are concrete: interacting with a fraudulent app can lead to drained funds, echoing other self-custody risks such as reported losses from a Coldcard wallet hack. The incident matters beyond a single wallet because it tests how quickly marketplaces act on impersonation.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
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