Is the Flappy Bird Revival Just a Cryptocurrency Scam in Disguise?

The Flappy Bird Phenomenon

The original Flappy Bird game was generating an astonishing $50,000 a day for its developer, Dong Nguyen, before he decided to remove it from the app stores due to its addictive nature. Following its removal, devices with the game installed were selling for exorbitant prices on eBay, although these listings were eventually taken down.

The USPTO document reveals that a company called Gametech Holdings acquired the Flappy Bird trademark. | Image credit-Varun Biniwale

The excitement surrounding the potential return of Flappy Bird included the promise of new features like an easy mode, a basketball mode, and a Battle Royale mode against 99 players. However, it’s notable that Nguyen's name does not appear on any documents regarding this revival.

Suspicious Connections to Cryptocurrency

Cybersecurity researcher Varun Biniwale uncovered concerning links between the new Flappy Bird announcement and a cryptocurrency known as SOL (Solana). A community page related to the game included links to discussions about blockchain technology and the native cryptocurrency SOL, which has seen significant market fluctuations.

The new Flappy Bird game is connected to the SOL crypto according to this page discovered by a security researcher. | Image credit-Varun Biniwale

The website for Flappy Bird was built on WordPress, making its sitemap publicly accessible and revealing mentions of web3 and crypto wallets. This raises suspicions that the revival may be more about promoting cryptocurrency than merely reviving a beloved game.

Image grabbed from a prototype of the game shows mentions a crypto wallet. | Image credit-Varun Biniwale

Conclusion

The excitement over Flappy Bird's return appears to be overshadowed by the possibility that it could be a front for a cryptocurrency scheme designed to manipulate the price of SOL. Players and potential users should exercise caution and fully understand what they are signing up for before engaging with the app.