The official X account for heavy metal band Metallica was hacked, with the exploiters using the breach to promote a Solana token with the ticker METAL.

Metallica’s team appears to have regained control of the account and has deleted all posts mentioning the token.

Metallica’s X account first posted about the token in a June 26 post, claiming it was made in partnership with Ticketmaster. It was launched on the Solana-based token deployer pump.fun. 

Ticketmaster did not make an announcement about the partnership and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Posts from Metallica’s account claimed fintech firm MoonPay was involved with the token, which MoonPay president Keith Grossman dismissed in an X post, saying: “MoonPay does NOT support METAL.”

MoonPay later posted on X: “If someone is offering you a METAL token, they are not the master of puppets — they’re the master of scams!” referencing the band’s hit 1986 album and single.

A series of subsequent posts in an apparent attempt to drum up buyers claimed users could cash in their METAL tokens to redeem exclusive items, including “free concert tickets,” custom gaming consoles and merchandise.

One post even claimed the token would have staking rewards.

The total value of the METAL token reached a brief peak of $3.37 million roughly 20 minutes after it was launched, according to Dexscreener data.

The value of the METAL token has since plummeted, falling to a total market capitalization of $90,000 less than three hours after it hit its peak.

Its price has also sunk nearly 100% from its high, which it hit shortly after Metallica’s account shared the token.

It’s unclear how Metallica’s account was breached. The band and its management team could not be immediately contacted for comment.

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