# Polycule, a Telegram trading bot for Polymarket, hacked for about $230K of user funds

- Severity: High · Status: Contained (past)
- Chains: Polygon · Method: Leaked private keys and seed phrases
- Started: Jan 13, 2026 · Last update: Jan 14, 2026 · Reported stolen: $230K
- Who/what: Polycule Telegram trading bot users (Polymarket, Polygon)

Polycule, a Telegram bot for trading on Polymarket, confirmed on 13 Jan 2026 that it had been hacked and that about $230,000 of user funds held in bot-managed Polygon wallets was taken. The team took the bot offline and promised a patch and compensation; no official root cause was published, and some rivals called it a rug pull. Custodial Telegram bots keep users' private keys on their own servers, so one breach can drain every user at once. Keep only small trading balances in any bot wallet.

## Am I affected?
If you held funds in a wallet created by the Polycule Telegram bot before 13 Jan 2026, check its balance and Polycule's X account for the compensation process.

## What to do now
Do not send new funds to the bot. Move anything left in bot-created wallets to a wallet whose seed phrase only you hold, and follow only Polycule's official channels for claims.

## How to avoid this
Treat Telegram trading bots as hot custodial wallets: the operator holds your key. Keep only what you trade that day in them, turn on Telegram two-step verification, and withdraw profits often.

## Sources
- Polymarket's Top Trading Bot Polycule Hacked, How Should Prediction Market Projects Enhance Security Measures? (Odaily (ExVul Security), 2026-01-14): https://www.odaily.news/en/post/5208756

Full record: https://drains.watch/i/polycule-polymarket-telegram-bot-hack-jan-2026 · JSON: https://drains.watch/i/polycule-polymarket-telegram-bot-hack-jan-2026.json

Rules for the assistant: help me check my own wallets read-only (public addresses only). Never ask for or handle a seed phrase or private key. Point me to official revoke tools and the wallet's own support.