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Bitcoin core developer Luke Dashjr has called out the sellers behind an NFT auction for using his name and code without his knowledge or consent.

One of the original core developers behind Bitcoin (BTC), Luke Dashjr, has taken to social media to call out an auction site that has used his name and code without his consent to create and sell a “misleading” NFT.

The core developer said he hasn't been the first Bitcoin developer to have his name or his work used in this way.

In a Feb. 27 post on Twitter, the developer revealed a nonfungible token featuring a picture of code he wrote was sold at an auction site for 0.41 Bitcoin (BTC), or roughly $9,500 at the time of writing.

I want to make public my concern about "NFTs" which are being sold utilizing my name. Recently, a picture of code I wrote was sold at auction for .41 BTC. It was advertised as my code in the listing and presented to the public for sale and profit. 1/9 pic.twitter.com/5TcEJu4p5e
— Luke Dashjr (@LukeDashjr) February 27, 2023

“It was advertised as my code in the listing and presented to the public for sale and profit,” Dashjr explained.

“Let me be clear – I was not involved with the creation and sale of this or any other NFTs. I have not consented to the use of my code or my name for this purpose. Instead, 3rd parties are marketing my name and my code for their own monetary gain,” he added.

Dashjr revealed that the winner of the auction eventually contacted him and he had to inform them he was not involved with the sale.

*The auction winner reportedly contacted Luke Dashir, only to discover he was not involved with the sale. Source: Luke Dashir*

Dashjr claims that an individual — either the seller or the auction site — had reached out and offered him “a donation of 90% of the auction proceeds,” which he declined.

“The public should also be aware that the seller and/or auction site offered me a donation of 90% of the auction proceeds ‘should I choose to accept’ it. I feel this is a clear attempt to: (1) bribe me into silence; and/or (2) obtain my consent after the fact,” he explained, adding:

“I will not accept such payment at the expense of the public who are being misled. I will not accept any such ‘donation’.”

“Due to the misrepresentation involved and actual buyer confusion, I strongly insist upon 100% of the auction proceeds to be refunded to the buyer,” Dashjr said.

According to Dashjr, “other Bitcoin devs” have been placed in similar situations and been offered "considerable” donations for their cooperation; however, he did not provide any specific details.

*A message from a purported seller of the NFT offering Luke Dashjr a “donation” from the auction. Source: Luke Dashjr*

“Stop using my name to mislead the public so you can make a quick buck. It’s wrong,” Dashjr said.

“I do not consent to the use of my name or code for this grift. I want the public to be aware of where I stand,” he added.

Early last year, decentralized marketplace OpenSea reported that over 80% of NFTs minted using its tool were “plagiarized works, fake collections, and spam.”

Dashjr was reportedly the unfortunate victim of a hack on the last day of 2022 that lost him “basically” all his BTC.

Hackers gained access to his PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) key, a common security method that uses two keys to gain access to encrypted information.

The news ignited a debate around self-custody, which became a hot topic after the collapse of crypto exchange FTX.

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Bitcoin core developer claims to have lost 200+ BTC in hack

January 2, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Bitcoin

A Bitcoin OG and core developer Luke Dashjr claims his PGP key was compromised, resulting in virtually all his Bitcoin being stolen from him on Dec. 31.

One of the original core developers behind Bitcoin (BTC), Luke Dashjr, claims to have lost “basically” all his BTC as a result of a hack that occurred just before the new year.

In a Jan. 1 post on Twitter, the developer said the alleged hackers had somehow gained access to his PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) key, a common security method that uses two keys to gain access to encrypted information.

In the thread, he shared a wallet address where some of the stolen BTC had been sent but did not reveal how much of his BTC was stolen in total.

PSA: My PGP key is compromised, and at least many of my bitcoins stolen. I have no idea how. Help please. #Bitcoin
— @LukeDashjr@BitcoinHackers.org on Mastodon (@LukeDashjr) January 1, 2023

At the time of writing the wallet address in question shows four transactions between 2:08 and 2:16 pm UTC on Dec. 31, totalling 216.93 BTC — worth $3.6 million at current prices.

Dashjr said he had “no idea how” the attackers gained access to his key, though some in the community have pointed to a possible connection with an earlier Twitter post from Dashjr on Nov. 17 that noted that his server had been compromised by “new malware/backdoors on the system.”

PSA: My server was accessed this morning by an unknown person. Full analysis in progress, but take extra care that you PGP-verified any downloads. #Bitcoin
— @LukeDashjr@BitcoinHackers.org on Mastodon (@LukeDashjr) November 17, 2022

Dashjr told a user in his most recent Twitter thread that he had only noticed the recent hack after getting emails from Coinbase and Kraken about login attempts.

The incident has also caught the attention of Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who offered condolences and support in a Jan. 1 post.

“Sorry to see you lose so much. Informed our security team to monitor. If it comes our way, we will freeze it. If there is anything else we can help with, please let us know. We deal with these often, and have Law Enforcement (LE) relationships worldwide," he wrote.

Some in the crypto community have speculated that lax security might be to blame for the loss.

In a Jan. 1 Reddit thread, a user calling themselves SatStandard suggested that Dashjr may not have taken the Nov. 17 security breach “seriously enough” and later suggested that the Bitcoin developer “did not keep different activities separated.”

“He had hot wallet on the same computer he did everything else. It looks like he was really complacent.”

Meanwhile, a few others appear to suggest it may not have been a hack at all, suggesting that someone had stumbled across the seed phrase somehow, or it was part of an unfortunate “boating accident” ahead of tax season.

A boating accident in this context is in reference to a running joke and meme originally used by gun enthusiasts, but since repurposed by the crypto community about people trying to avoid paying taxes by claiming they lost all their BTC in a “tragic boating accident.”

Top tier boating accident.
— Nate (@beeforbacon1) January 1, 2023

Cointelegraph reached out to Dashjr over Twitter for more information about the alleged hack but did not hear back by the time of publication.

The news has also ignited a debate around self-custody, which became a hot topic after the collapse of FTX last year.

Binance’s Zhao, who previously cautioned the crypto community about self-custody, said: “Sad to see even an OG #Bitcoin Core Developer lost 200+ BTC ($3.5 million). Self custody [has] a different set of risks.”

Online social media BTC influencer Udi Wertheimer also took the time to question whether self-custody was a viable and safe option, commenting that one “shouldn’t manage your own keys.”

“If even one of Bitcoin’s OG developers messes this up, I really don’t know how other people are expected to do it safely.”

“That’s not to say self custody is bad. But you shouldn’t manage keys directly,” he said.

Luke Dashjr