Audit log

Every state-changing event for Robinhood Chain Scam Ecosystem: moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions are designed to carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key. Archive coverage is still being backfilled, so each decision below reports its own snapshot status rather than assuming one exists.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-08-18 12:09:17Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchorpending

   chain

   ●—

   hash

   E7E2AgkSWV5n…Lsmu5un6copysha256 → base58

   verifying row…

   canonical bytes (22254 B) ▸

   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"a16b8d6d-444a-426e-9a17-09c3fba1a915","kind":"publish","page_slug":"robinhood-chain-scam-ecosystem","published_at":"2026-08-18T12:09:17.530Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Robinhood Chain Scam Ecosystem","sections":[{"content":"Robinhood Chain is a permissionless Ethereum Layer 2 network built on Arbitrum's Orbit stack, launched to public mainnet on July 1, 2026, by Robinhood Markets, Inc. The chain was designed primarily for tokenized real-world assets and equities, but its permissionless architecture — which allows any party to deploy any smart contract without approval — created conditions that security researchers and cross-chain protocols quickly identified as exploitable. By July 7, decentralized exchange (DEX) volume on the chain peaked near $400 million. Pump.fun added support for Robinhood Chain tokens on July 8. Memecoins, rather than tokenized stocks, rapidly dominated activity; one researcher estimated memecoins accounted for more than 75% of two days of trading volume within the chain's first week. CEO Vlad Tenev acknowledged on July 8 that the chain 'works great for memes too.' Robinhood's official wallet integrates scam-detection tooling via Blockaid, but the permissionless chain itself does not restrict token deployment.","heading":"Background: Robinhood Chain Launch","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"CoinDesk: Robinhood built a blockchain for tokenized stocks, memecoins took over","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/07/13/robinhood-built-a-blockchain-for-tokenized-stocks-memecoins-took-over"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoDailyUK: How to Spot Fake Crypto Tokens After the Robinhood X Hack","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptodaily.co.uk/2026/07/how-to-spot-fake-crypto-tokens-robinhood-x-hack"},{"credibility":2,"name":"HTX Insights: Robinhood Chain Sees Disappearing Token Scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.htx.com/news/robinhood-chain-sees-disappearing-token-scam-tokens-vanish-a-a2fyfXk9/"}]},{"content":"By July 10, 2026 — nine days after mainnet launch — cross-chain protocol Relay Protocol issued a public warning about a category of fraudulent ERC-20 tokens deployed on Robinhood Chain that it described as self-removing: once purchased, the tokens disappear from the buyer's wallet and cannot be sold or transferred. Relay stated: 'There has been an increase in scam tokens specifically designed to self-remove after being bought.' According to Relay, the scam is limited to the purchased token itself; buyers' private keys and other wallet assets remain unaffected, meaning the vector is confined to the malicious contract's transfer logic rather than broader wallet compromise. Separately, Protos and CryptoNews reported on a related but distinct variant in which scam contracts accept a token swap, briefly credit the buyer's wallet, and immediately transfer the tokens back to the deployer's wallet — meaning buyers effectively purchase tokens on behalf of the attacker. Relay stated it was blocking identified scam tokens and verifying safe ones, though it did not disclose a specific blocklist or verification timeline. No total aggregate loss figure has been published by Relay, Robinhood, or any regulatory body as of the investigation date.","heading":"Honeypot and Vanishing-Token Contracts","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Bitcoin.com News: New Chain Hype Meets Old Scam Tactics — Relay Protocol Warns of Robinhood Chain Honeypot Coins","type":"news_article","url":"https://news.bitcoin.com/new-chain-hype-meets-old-scam-tactics-relay-protocol-warns-of-robinhood-chain-honeypot-coins/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Phemex News: Relay Protocol Alerts Investors to Honeypot Scams on Robinhood Chain","type":"news_article","url":"https://phemex.com/news/article/relay-protocol-alerts-investors-to-honeypot-scams-on-robinhood-chain-92501"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoSlate: Robinhood Chain tokens reportedly vanishing from wallets","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/robinhood-chain-tokens-reportedly-vanishing-from-wallets-causing-buyers-to-lose-funds/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"HTX Insights: Robinhood Chain Sees Disappearing Token Scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.htx.com/news/robinhood-chain-sees-disappearing-token-scam-tokens-vanish-a-a2fyfXk9/"}]},{"content":"Protos and CryptoNews.net documented specific reported losses from individual traders across multiple scam types active in the chain's first two weeks. Reported individual losses included $50, $350, $600, and $56,000 (the last attributed to a holder of the CASHCAT token, which had been promoted as a legitimate memecoin before suffering a severe decline). Researchers estimated 'thousands of users' were losing money through scam contracts during the chain's first week, particularly among traders bridging assets from Solana-based Pump.fun. Named tokens flagged in reporting as fraudulent or as suffering significant value collapse include: USER, $ROBINHOOD (a memecoin distinct from any Robinhood-issued asset), HOODIE, and ROGE — with ROGE specifically identified by researchers as a honeypot contract. CASHCAT, which reached a $156 million market cap and 2,158% appreciation in its first week, was referenced in connection with a $56,000 individual loss, though the specific scam mechanism related to that loss was not separately documented in available sources. These figures are drawn from social media reports and journalist accounts rather than on-chain forensic analysis; total losses across the ecosystem have not been independently verified.","heading":"Documented Individual Losses and Named Tokens","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Protos: Robinhood Chain scams are already costing users dearly","type":"news_article","url":"https://protos.com/robinhood-chain-scams-are-already-costing-users-dearly/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoNews.net: Robinhood Chain scams are already costing users dearly","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptonews.net/news/security/33132381/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CoinDesk: Robinhood built a blockchain for tokenized stocks, memecoins took over","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/07/13/robinhood-built-a-blockchain-for-tokenized-stocks-memecoins-took-over"}]},{"content":"On July 23, 2026, the verified X account of Robinhood Markets CEO Vlad Tenev was compromised by an unknown attacker. The attacker used the account to promote a Robinhood Chain token called Vladhood (ticker: VLAD), launched via the Pons launchpad. The fraudulent post falsely claimed that VLAD would become the 'official mascot of Robinhood Chain' and would be listed on the Robinhood trading app. The post reached approximately 175,000 views in under 20 minutes. According to crypto.news, the VLAD contract had been deployed 46 minutes before the hacked post went live, with Tenev's X profile URL already configured as the token's official website, indicating the operation was premeditated. The token's market capitalization briefly approached $10 million within minutes of posting, according to CryptoBriefing. Trading volume reached approximately $22 million in under 20 minutes, per crypto.news. Robinhood Chain's Blockscout explorer flagged the token contract as a 'potential scam.' Approximately 1,868 transactions were recorded on the contract before the post was removed and the account was secured, according to The Block and CryptoDailyUK. Unlike a traditional rug pull, the VLAD scam employed a permanent liquidity-lock mechanism: liquidity cannot be withdrawn, but the Pons launchpad pays trading fees to the token creator — meaning the attacker reportedly collected approximately $59,000 in fees within the first hours and continues to accrue fees on any ongoing trading. Crypto.news estimated total proceeds at approximately $1.2–1.3 million. Robinhood confirmed the breach via its communications account, stating the unauthorized post had been removed and that it was 'working with X to restore access' to Tenev's account. The method of account compromise was not disclosed. This incident was described by crypto.news as the second executive-account token scam on Robinhood Chain within eleven days, though the first incident was not identified by name in available sources.","heading":"Vladhood (VLAD) Token Scam — Compromised Executive Account","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Decrypt: Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's X Account Hacked to Shill Fake Vladhood Token","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/374175/robinhood-ceo-vlad-tenevs-x-account-hacked-to-shill-fake-vladhood-token"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CoinDesk: Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's X account hacked to promote token amid memecoin frenzy","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/23/robinhood-ceo-vlad-tenev-s-x-account-hacked-to-promote-token-amid-memecoin-frenzy"},{"credibility":1,"name":"The Block: Robinhood CEO's X account hacked to promote Vladhood memecoin flagged as scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.theblock.co/post/409560/robinhood-ceo-x-account-apparently-hacked-promote-vladhood-memecoin-flagged-scam"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoBriefing: Robinhood confirms CEO Vlad Tenev's X account hacked in meme coin scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/robinhood-says-vlad-tenevs-x-account-was-hacked-in-meme-coin-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"crypto.news: The scam that doesn't rug — How $VLAD farms its victims","type":"news_article","url":"https://crypto.news/vlad-scam-locked-liquidity-fee-farming/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoDailyUK: How to Spot Fake Crypto Tokens After the Robinhood X Hack","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptodaily.co.uk/2026/07/how-to-spot-fake-crypto-tokens-robinhood-x-hack"}]},{"content":"Security researchers and journalists documented multiple distinct scam categories active on Robinhood Chain in the weeks following its launch. These include: (1) vanishing-token contracts, in which malicious ERC-20 tokens are programmed to transfer themselves out of a buyer's wallet immediately post-purchase; (2) honeypot contracts, in which contract code restricts or prohibits resale, trapping buyer funds permanently; (3) wallet-drainer contracts, which attempt to drain other assets from a connected wallet upon interaction; (4) fake-swap contracts that briefly simulate a trade confirmation while immediately redirecting tokens back to the deployer; (5) phishing links and impersonation schemes exploiting the Robinhood brand; and (6) compromised social-media account promotions, as in the Vladhood incident. The Currency Analytics and CryptoRank both noted the scam activity was occurring against a backdrop of high legitimate DEX volume — the chain reportedly generated $9 billion in cumulative DEX volume from July 1 through July 23 — meaning fraudulent activity represented a subset of a high-volume environment rather than the totality of chain activity. No regulatory body has issued findings or enforcement actions related to these scams as of the investigation date.","heading":"Broader Scam Taxonomy on Robinhood Chain","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"The Currency Analytics: Robinhood Chain Scam Tokens Drain Buyer Wallets as DEX Volume Hits $400M","type":"news_article","url":"https://thecurrencyanalytics.com/blockchain/robinhood-chain-scam-tokens-drain-buyer-wallets-as-dex-volume-hits-400m-275258"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoRank: Crypto Disappears on Robinhood Chain — Users Report Missing Assets Amid Scam Token Surge","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/e3606-crypto-disappears-robinhood-chain-scam-tokens"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoBriefing: Robinhood confirms CEO Vlad Tenev's X account hacked in meme coin scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/robinhood-says-vlad-tenevs-x-account-was-hacked-in-meme-coin-scam/"}]},{"content":"Robinhood confirmed via its communications account that Vlad Tenev's X account had been compromised and that the Vladhood promotion was unauthorized. The company stated it was working with X to restore access. Robinhood Chain's Blockscout block explorer flagged the VLAD contract as a 'potential scam.' Robinhood's official wallet product integrates scam detection via Blockaid, which filters malicious tokens for wallet users. Relay Protocol stated it was blocking identified scam tokens on an ongoing basis and verifying safe ones. However, Relay acknowledged the fundamental tension: Robinhood Chain is permissionless by design, and any party can deploy any contract. Relay's warnings for the vanishing-token category were issued on or around July 13–14, 2026, after losses had already been incurred. No known enforcement action has been taken against identified scam deployers. No Robinhood spokesperson statement specifically addressed the honeypot or vanishing-token categories beyond the general Blockaid integration mention documented in reporting.","heading":"Robinhood's Response and Platform Mitigations","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoBriefing: Robinhood confirms CEO Vlad Tenev's X account hacked in meme coin scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/robinhood-says-vlad-tenevs-x-account-was-hacked-in-meme-coin-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoSlate: Robinhood Chain tokens reportedly vanishing from wallets","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/robinhood-chain-tokens-reportedly-vanishing-from-wallets-causing-buyers-to-lose-funds/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"HTX Insights: Robinhood Chain Sees Disappearing Token Scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.htx.com/news/robinhood-chain-sees-disappearing-token-scam-tokens-vanish-a-a2fyfXk9/"}]},{"content":"This page covers the scam ecosystem that emerged on Robinhood Chain — not Robinhood Markets, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOOD) or its legacy crypto brokerage. Robinhood Markets is a publicly traded, SEC-regulated financial services company. Robinhood Chain is a permissionless blockchain product launched by that company, but the fraudulent tokens and contracts documented on this page were deployed by unknown third parties, not by Robinhood Markets. The scams are external to Robinhood Markets' own operations. Robinhood Markets was a victim of the X account compromise in the Vladhood incident; it did not operate, endorse, or profit from any of the scam tokens documented here. Readers should distinguish between the risk profile of the scam ecosystem documented here and any assessment of Robinhood Markets, Inc. as a corporate entity or regulated broker.","heading":"Distinguishing Robinhood Chain from Robinhood Markets, Inc.","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Decrypt: Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's X Account Hacked to Shill Fake Vladhood Token","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/374175/robinhood-ceo-vlad-tenevs-x-account-hacked-to-shill-fake-vladhood-token"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CoinDesk: Robinhood Chain's real-world assets jump fivefold as tokenized stocks start trading in size","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/25/robinhood-chain-s-real-world-assets-jump-fivefold-as-tokenized-stocks-start-trading-in-bigger-size"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Bitcoin.com News: New Chain Hype Meets Old Scam Tactics — Relay Protocol Warns of Robinhood Chain Honeypot Coins","type":"news_article","url":"https://news.bitcoin.com/new-chain-hype-meets-old-scam-tactics-relay-protocol-warns-of-robinhood-chain-honeypot-coins/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Protos: Robinhood Chain scams are already costing users dearly","type":"news_article","url":"https://protos.com/robinhood-chain-scams-are-already-costing-users-dearly/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"HTX Insights: Robinhood Chain Sees Disappearing Token Scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.htx.com/news/robinhood-chain-sees-disappearing-token-scam-tokens-vanish-a-a2fyfXk9/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoNews.net: Robinhood Chain scams are already costing users dearly","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptonews.net/news/security/33132381/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoDailyUK: How to Spot Fake Crypto Tokens After the Robinhood X Hack","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptodaily.co.uk/2026/07/how-to-spot-fake-crypto-tokens-robinhood-x-hack"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CoinDesk: Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's X account hacked to promote token amid memecoin frenzy","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/23/robinhood-ceo-vlad-tenev-s-x-account-hacked-to-promote-token-amid-memecoin-frenzy"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Decrypt: Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's X Account Hacked to Shill Fake Vladhood Token","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/374175/robinhood-ceo-vlad-tenevs-x-account-hacked-to-shill-fake-vladhood-token"},{"credibility":1,"name":"The Block: Robinhood CEO's X account hacked to promote Vladhood memecoin flagged as scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.theblock.co/post/409560/robinhood-ceo-x-account-apparently-hacked-promote-vladhood-memecoin-flagged-scam"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoBriefing: Robinhood confirms CEO Vlad Tenev's X account hacked in meme coin scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptobriefing.com/robinhood-says-vlad-tenevs-x-account-was-hacked-in-meme-coin-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"crypto.news: The scam that doesn't rug — How $VLAD farms its victims","type":"news_article","url":"https://crypto.news/vlad-scam-locked-liquidity-fee-farming/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoSlate: Robinhood Chain tokens reportedly vanishing from wallets","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/robinhood-chain-tokens-reportedly-vanishing-from-wallets-causing-buyers-to-lose-funds/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Phemex News: Relay Protocol Alerts Investors to Honeypot Scams on Robinhood Chain","type":"news_article","url":"https://phemex.com/news/article/relay-protocol-alerts-investors-to-honeypot-scams-on-robinhood-chain-92501"},{"credibility":2,"name":"The Currency Analytics: Robinhood Chain Scam Tokens Drain Buyer Wallets as DEX Volume Hits $400M","type":"news_article","url":"https://thecurrencyanalytics.com/blockchain/robinhood-chain-scam-tokens-drain-buyer-wallets-as-dex-volume-hits-400m-275258"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoRank: Crypto Disappears on Robinhood Chain — Users Report Missing Assets Amid Scam Token Surge","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/e3606-crypto-disappears-robinhood-chain-scam-tokens"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CoinDesk: Robinhood built a blockchain for tokenized stocks, memecoins took over","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/07/13/robinhood-built-a-blockchain-for-tokenized-stocks-memecoins-took-over"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CoinDesk: Robinhood Chain's real-world assets jump fivefold as tokenized stocks start trading in size","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/25/robinhood-chain-s-real-world-assets-jump-fivefold-as-tokenized-stocks-start-trading-in-bigger-size"}],"summary":"Robinhood Chain, an Arbitrum-based Ethereum Layer 2 launched by Robinhood Markets on July 1, 2026, experienced a rapid influx of fraudulent tokens within days of its permissionless mainnet going live, including honeypot contracts, vanishing-token scams, wallet-drainer schemes, and memecoin rug pulls. On July 23, 2026, the verified X account of Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev was compromised and used to promote a fake memecoin called 'Vladhood' (VLAD), which generated approximately $22 million in trading volume before the post was removed. This page covers the scam ecosystem that emerged on Robinhood Chain and is distinct from Robinhood Markets, Inc. and its legitimate crypto brokerage operations.","timeline":[{"date":"2026-07-01","event":"Robinhood Chain permissionless mainnet launched on Arbitrum Orbit stack.","source":"CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/07/13/robinhood-built-a-blockchain-for-tokenized-stocks-memecoins-took-over"},{"date":"2026-07-07","event":"DEX volume on Robinhood Chain peaks near $400 million; memecoins dominate activity.","source":"CryptoSlate","source_url":"https://cryptoslate.com/robinhood-chain-tokens-reportedly-vanishing-from-wallets-causing-buyers-to-lose-funds/"},{"date":"2026-07-08","event":"Pump.fun adds support for Robinhood Chain tokens, accelerating speculative token launches.","source":"HTX Insights","source_url":"https://www.htx.com/news/robinhood-chain-sees-disappearing-token-scam-tokens-vanish-a-a2fyfXk9/"},{"date":"2026-07-10","event":"Security researchers flag wallet-drainers, honeypot contracts, and impersonation attempts on Robinhood Chain. Relay Protocol begins issuing warnings. Individual losses documented include $50, $350, $600, and $56,000.","source":"Bitcoin.com News / Protos","source_url":"https://news.bitcoin.com/new-chain-hype-meets-old-scam-tactics-relay-protocol-warns-of-robinhood-chain-honeypot-coins/"},{"date":"2026-07-13","event":"Relay Protocol issues formal public warning about vanishing-token scams, stating it is blocking identified scam tokens. Robinhood Chain TVL reaches $135 million.","source":"CryptoSlate / CoinDesk","source_url":"https://cryptoslate.com/robinhood-chain-tokens-reportedly-vanishing-from-wallets-causing-buyers-to-lose-funds/"},{"date":"2026-07-23","event":"Verified X account of Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev is compromised. Attacker promotes Vladhood (VLAD) token, falsely claiming it will become the official mascot of Robinhood Chain and be listed on the Robinhood app. Token generates approximately $22 million in trading volume in under 20 minutes; market cap briefly approaches $10 million. Robinhood Chain's Blockscout explorer flags VLAD as a potential scam. Robinhood confirms the breach and states the account has been secured.","source":"CoinDesk / Decrypt / The Block / crypto.news","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/07/23/robinhood-ceo-vlad-tenev-s-x-account-hacked-to-promote-token-amid-memecoin-frenzy"}]},"v":1}

   Verify offline (run on your own machine)

   python -m src.verify_decision a410bd25-a27a-4542-92a5-68525cf39ba3copy