NTU top student Lin Ruixiang earns NT$160 million a month from drug trafficking on the Dark Web; the "invisible market" mastermind bites his accomplice in exchange for a reduced sentence in the United States

He was once a gifted student in the Information Management Department at National Taiwan University, but chose to walk the unrecoverable path of drug dealing on the Dark Web. Lin Rui-xiang, only in his early 20s, used encryption technology and virtual currencies to build one of the world's largest drug trading platforms, "Incognito Market", earning over $100 million in illegal profits. Now, this drug dealer who thought he could remain hidden in the digital world has not only been exposed by the FBI, but is also rumored to be cooperating with US authorities to reveal yet-to-be-exposed accomplices in exchange for a reduced sentence, shocking society.

(Operating a Dark Web drug trading platform and earning millions of dollars! 23-year-old Taiwanese alternative service member has pleaded guilty, facing potential life imprisonment)

Prison Letter Exposed: Admitting Mistakes but Not Drug Trafficking, Hoping to Return Home Soon

After being arrested in the United States, Lin Rui-xiang wrote a letter from prison back to Taiwan. In the letter, he candidly admitted that he "took a shortcut and went down the wrong path," but did not explicitly acknowledge drug trafficking. He claimed that he did not sell drugs in Taiwan and had no intention of harming the country, only wanting to provide a better life for his family.

In the letter, he reminded his mother to remember to take her medication and see a doctor, and told his brother: "You should wake up and stop acting like a child." He stated that he is willing to take responsibility for his past and hopes to return home safely one day.

How Should Society Respond to New Drug Crimes in the Crypto Era?

Lin Rui-xiang's case is not just a high-tech drug crime, but also reveals how virtual currencies and encryption technologies are being abused in global cross-border drug transactions. From an award-winning gifted student to becoming an operator of a global drug network platform, this path has come at a heavy price and poses new challenges to judicial and technological supervision in various countries. In the future, how governments and law enforcement agencies enhance their technological investigation capabilities to track illegal activities behind encrypted transactions will be key to combating drug crimes in the digital age.

A recent new phishing attack targeting Ethereum wallets has shocked the blockchain community, with hackers successfully stealing crypto assets worth $146,551 by exploiting features in Ethereum's latest upgrade EIP-7702. According to a report by blockchain security company SlowMist, the attackers initiated malicious batch transactions through MetaMask's EIP-7702 Delegator, bypassing the wallet's traditional security mechanisms.

Was EIP-7702 an Upgrade or a Vulnerability?

EIP-7702 is a recent Ethereum upgrade proposal that allows wallet users to perform batch transactions through a "Delegator". Originally intended to improve operational efficiency and programmability, it has now been exploited by hackers as a channel for asset theft.

Through this new feature, scam groups can silently approve token transfers without full user authorization, essentially opening a backdoor behind users' backs.

MetaMask Users Hit First, Hackers Silently Harvest

In this incident, hackers deployed a malicious Delegator contract to trick users into interaction, thereby executing batch transactions to extract assets. A MetaMask user was targeted, with losses amounting to $146,551.

Yu Xun, founder of SlowMist, stated that such phishing attacks targeting new features are increasingly common, with hackers quickly adapting to Ethereum's upgrade pace and deploying scam strategies for new features.

Behind-the-Scenes Culprit Appears Again: Inferno Drainer

This attack has been attributed to the notorious hacker group Inferno Drainer. According to a Check Point Research report on May 7, 2025, the organization has been associated with over 30,000 wallet attack incidents in the past six months, causing cumulative losses of $9 million.

Inferno Drainer is known for designing decoy websites and scam smart contracts, and has further upgraded phishing techniques using the latest blockchain features. This EIP-7702 incident again confirms their level of activity.

Security Professionals Warned Early: Malicious Addresses Exposed

In fact, on May 20, 2025, blockchain security company GoPlus Security had already warned the community about a malicious Delegator address related to EIP-7702 circulating. This warning became a prelude to the attack, also showing the insufficient response of users and the entire DeFi ecosystem to new upgrades.

April Scam Wave: Over 7,500 Wallets Compromised, Losses Exceed $5.3 Million

This incident is not an isolated case. In April 2025, the entire crypto ecosystem faced a large-scale phishing scam wave, with 7,565 wallets being hacked and asset losses reaching $5.3 million. It shows that scam methods are continuously evolving, and user risks are rising.

How Can Users Protect Themselves? Be Wary of New Features and Avoid Authorization Traps

Facing such scam attacks implemented through new features, users need to be extra cautious. The following suggestions can effectively enhance security:

• Avoid clicking links from unfamiliar websites or DApps

• Verify the content and address of each transaction authorization

• Maintain a skeptical attitude towards smart contracts and features that have not been widely verified

• Use blockchain security extension tools like Pocket Universe or ScamSniffer to help determine transaction safety

Ethereum's progress brings more possibilities to the ecosystem, but also means that hacker toolkits are simultaneously upgrading. Only by staying vigilant can one protect their assets in this race of upgrades and confrontation.