DeFiLlama founder hacks own wallet to get fake app removed from Apple store

The pseudonymous founder of the decentralized finance analytics platform DeFiLlama, known as 0xngmi, orchestrated a deliberate hack of his own wallet to force Apple to remove a fraudulent app impersonating his service from the App Store. The counterfeit application, which had been listed for months despite repeated trademark complaints, was designed to steal users' cryptocurrency by prompting them for their secret seed phrases.

According to 0xngmi's account posted on X on August 15, 2026, DeFiLlama's team had spent months flagging the fake app to Apple through its official abuse and trademark channels, citing impersonation and trademark violations. These reports yielded no action, and the app remained available for download. In response, 0xngmi downloaded the fraudulent app, funded a small wallet with cryptocurrency, and allowed the app to drain the funds. He then submitted this evidence of theft directly to Apple. The app was removed from the App Store within days of receiving this proof.

"I know its insane you have to do this to save users from obviously fake apps," 0xngmi wrote, stating he was publicizing the episode to prevent other crypto teams from wasting time on similar...