Hyperliquid News Today: Telegram's Ad Flaws Let Scammers Hijack Monad's Airdrop Portal

Monad's co-founder Keone Hon has issued an urgent warning to users about fraudulent advertisements appearing in the project's official Telegram channel ahead of its highly anticipated token airdrop. The scams, which mimic the project's claim portal, have raised concerns about Telegram's ad vetting processes and highlight the growing risks of phishing in the crypto space . The airdrop, scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm UTC on Tuesday, has drawn significant attention, with the yet-to-launch MON token already trading at $0.07 on Hyperliquid's perpetual futures market, implying a fully diluted valuation (FDV) of $7 billion .

The malicious ads, purchased by attackers, have infiltrated Monad's verified announcement feed-a space typically reserved for official updates. Hon criticized Telegram's platform for allowing such ads, stating, "Crazy that Telegram will push content directly into a channel that otherwise only contains content from one party," he tweeted. The ads, which contain links to fake claim portals, exploit user urgency ahead of the airdrop deadline, a tactic commonly used in phishing schemes .

Hon emphasized the importance of caution, urging users to "triple-verify" before interacting with any links. The legitimate claim portal, he clarified, is exclusively at claim.monad.xyz and will remain open for three weeks, eliminating the need for rushed actions. "Do not act with urgency," Hon reiterated, a message echoed by the broader crypto community as phishing attacks become increasingly sophisticated .

The scam underscores a critical gap in Telegram's ad policies. While the platform explicitly prohibits phishing and deceptive content, the fake ads violated these rules by mimicking official updates and promoting fraudulent financial services. Telegram's Ad Policies and Guidelines state that "ads must not promote phishing, including services that trick a user into providing personal or other information," yet the platform's enforcement mechanisms appear insufficient to prevent such incidents .

The MON token's early trading activity on Hyperliquid has further amplified interest in the project. With a 100 billion token supply, the $7 billion FDV positions Monad as a competitor to high-performance blockchains like Solana and Avalanche. The project, which claims to process 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) with near-instant finality, aims to address the "blockchain trilemma" by balancing scalability, security, and decentralization .

The incident also reflects broader vulnerabilities in Telegram's ecosystem. The platform's anonymity features and lack of robust ad vetting have made it a hotspot for scams, ranging from fake job offers to cryptocurrency investment schemes. Aura, a cybersecurity firm, recently outlined 12 common Telegram scams in 2025, emphasizing the need for user education and stronger platform safeguards . NordProtect similarly highlighted the risks of data-harvesting bots and blackmail schemes, warning that Telegram's open structure can be exploited by fraudsters .

As the airdrop approaches, Hon's warnings serve as a reminder of the persistent threats in the crypto space. Users are advised to verify all links, avoid clicking on unsolicited ads, and remain skeptical of urgent requests for personal information. The incident also calls for stricter oversight of decentralized platforms, where the line between innovation and security often blurs.

[1] Scammers Exploit Telegram Ads To Mimic Monad Claim Portal (https://cointelegraph.com/news/telegram-ads-fake-monad-claim-portal-airdrop-scam)

[2] Monad Co-Founder Warns of Fake Telegram Ads Before Airdrop (https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/10/14/monad-co-founder-warns-of-fake-telegram-ads-before-airdrop/)

[3] Hyperliquid Ignites MON Trading with a Staggering $14 Billion Implied Valuation for Monad (https://markets.financialcontent.com/dailybreeze/article/breakingcrypto-2025-10-8-hyperliquid-ignites-mon-trading-with-a-staggering-14-billion-implied-valuation-for-monad)

[5] Monad Lianchuang: Scammers have posted phishing ads on TG's (https://www.coinlive.com/news-flash/925135)

[6] MON Token News: Hyperliquid Lists Monad Perpetuals (https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/10/08/hyperliquid-lists-mon-usd-perpetuals-ahead-of-hotly-anticipated-monad-airdrop)

[8] The 12 Latest Telegram App Scams To Avoid in 2025 - Aura (https://www.aura.com/learn/telegram-app-scams)

[9] 18 Telegram scams: How to avoid them and protect yourself (https://nordprotect.com/blog/telegram-scams/)