bitcoinpow[.]space

PhishDestroy identifies bitcoinpow.space as an active brand impersonation scam targeting Bitcoin users. This domain was flagged on February 05, 2026, through PDR Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com, merely days after creation, indicating a hasty setup designed for immediate exploitation. The site resolves to IP address 188.114.97.3 and holds an SSL certificate issued by Google Trust Services, lending it a false veneer of legitimacy. VirusTotal currently shows 0 detections out of 95 engines, meaning conventional scanning tools have not yet flagged this threat, allowing it to operate under the radar longer. Despite its clean VT score, the domain’s suspicious naming convention, recent registration, and redirection to an untrusted IP collectively signal a high-risk operation. This domain employs a deliberate strategy to deceive by mimicking Bitcoin’s branding, leveraging Proof-of-Work terminology to appear authentic while diverting traffic to infrastructure linked to potential phishing or malware distribution. The use of a freshly created domain, coupled with SSL encryption from a trusted issuer, is a known tactic among threat actors aiming to bypass browser warnings and gain user trust. As of now, no major blocklists have flagged bitcoinpow.space, enabling it to persist in the wild with minimal interference. The combination of a newly registered domain (February 05, 2026), low VirusTotal detection rate (3/95), and use of a cloud-hosted IP (188.114.97.3) increases the risk of successful user compromise. To mitigate exposure to this scam, users should avoid interacting with bitcoinpow.space entirely and report the domain to their email provider or browser using built-in “Report Phishing” tools. Organizations should add the domain and its IP 188.114.97.3 to network blocklists and inspect DNS logs for anomalous connections. Security teams should monitor for similar domains leveraging Bitcoin branding, particularly those using crypto-mining or Proof-of-Work terminology, and share IOCs via threat intelligence platforms to strengthen collective defense. Immediate action by registries or hosting providers may be necessary to prevent further abuse.