DefiLlama Delays Mobile Launch After App Store Phishing

DefiLlama postponed the launch of its mobile app after multiple phishing apps that copied its branding appeared on Apple’s App Store, the platform’s pseudonymous founder 0xngmi wrote. The team held back the official release until the most dangerous fake listings were removed to prevent users from being scammed.

The company spent months asking Apple to remove several malicious apps. The team focused on one persistent listing, downloaded the app to collect evidence and recorded a small wallet being drained while interacting with the fake software. After the team documented the loss, Apple removed that specific listing within days, according to the founder.

In a post on X, 0xngmi wrote: ‘We waited ’till all the fake apps were taken down before we launched ours to avoid any user getting scammed.’ The founder framed the decision as driven by user safety rather than product readiness.

DefiLlama provides decentralized finance analytics and portfolio tracking and had planned a mobile release to extend those services to smartphones. The presence of lookalike apps on the App Store prompted the team to delay the rollout until the storefront was cleared of the most dangerous copies.

Impersonation of established crypto services on app stores has occurred before. In 2024, fake apps mimicking other wallets and decentralized finance platforms appeared on major app stores. In November 2023, a counterfeit Ledger Live app on a major software store was linked to about $588,000 stolen across 38 transactions.

Developers and security teams reported that providing concrete evidence of theft or interactive exploits can lead platform operators to act more quickly. Victims whose private keys or seed phrases are exposed have limited recourse once funds are drained.