No, BTS And LINE FRIENDS Are Not Releasing NFTs—BT21 Account Hacked

No, BTS and LINE FRIENDS‘ BT21 is not releasing NFTs.

Previously, the official BT21 X (Twitter) account shared that it would be releasing its first NFT collection. It would include SHOOKY, COOKY, and TATA, although MANG was used in the video ad.

Immediately, it was met with outrage as ARMYs expressed disapproval. The fandom has long been against NFTs since HYBE first announced a partnership with blockchain technology firm Dunamu to launch Momentica, an NFT platform where fans could purchase digital collectibles featuring some of HYBE’s popular artists. ARMYs brought up that BTS leader RM reportedly had also made a presentation against NFTs, so it was disrespectful to use the BTS-created characters for something he was so against.

namjoon didn’t make a presentation on nft’s for y’all to be doing this and going against what he stands for — immediately no !! who asked for this?? no one wants this- take it back pic.twitter.com/TCq8zQu8gY

— katiah | yoongi day !! ♡ (@rizadabeaut) March 9, 2024

namjoon fighting that company to keep nft away from them, only for them to pull this shit when hes gone pic.twitter.com/ZdiRDmIZnv

— 🍰Choko⁷🍰 YOONGI DAY (@RusGoo) March 9, 2024

nft mfuckers hacking bt21 account and using their names for their shit leave my children ALONE pic.twitter.com/MZwLQlDETN

— dudinha ☆ (@orubii2) March 10, 2024

This video is about Momentica, but explains what an NFT is and why you SHOULD NOT support them

NFTs are a SCAMhttps://t.co/2MyMLUe874

— Mel Targaryen (@MelTarg) March 9, 2024

Some ARMYs were skeptical from the start concerning BT21’s NFT ad. They pointed out some oddities about it.

guys i’m going to be honest i don’t think the real bt21 brand would just randomly drop a nft collection with only 3/8 characters at 05:14kst announced on an unsecured link announced using the JOKERMAN as a font

— EGGY ☆ (@eggyisonline) March 9, 2024

This is a Report To HYBE situation. Report to LINE too. BT21 is owned by both of them. I'm also not 100% which side controls the Twitter account, so informing both is good.

— ARMY’s hacker jin⁷ 🎣 (@ArmyCompsci) March 9, 2024

Sure enough, LINE FRIENDS released a statement shortly after, revealing the truth.

LINE FRIENDS released a notice in English, Korean, and Japanese on behalf of BT21 via its website and official social media channels, such as Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) when it got access to it. The company explained that its BT21 X account had been hacked. So, it advised netizens not to click on the link that was included in the previous post.

We regret to inform our community that the BT21 official X account has been compromised due to unauthorized access. Efforts are being made to resolve the issue as swiftly as possible.

— LINE FRIENDS

The hackers had copied the actual BT21 website but modified it, creating their own website, to include information regarding NFTs, adding wallet info. The real BT21 website is registered/hosted in South Korea, while the NFT site was in the U.S. You can see the real and fake versions side-by-side below. By hacking the social media account, the hackers shared a link to their own version, not the real website.

A few hours later, LINE FRIENDS updated its social media accounts. It revealed that the official BT21 X account has now successfully been restored. Again, LINE FRIENDS emphasized it is not connected to any NFT businesses.

Thanks to your support and love, BT21 Official X (formerly Twitter) channel has been successfully restored. BT21 team will continue to work hard so that we can make a fun community together. We deeply appreciate your ongoing interest and love.

— LINE FRIENDS