Clippy is back in the news for a very strange reason

Microsoft’s official X account was compromised this week in what appears to have been an attempt to promote a cryptocurrency token. The account followed another account and reposted a message asking how many likes would be needed to bring back Clippy.

An emphatic request to bring back Clippy is nothing new on social media, but the post by the since-suspended @clippymsftcto account was not a genuine plea to bring back the iconic assistant.

Normally, a story involving Clippy is lighthearted. Microsoft has playfully referenced the mascot over the years. Sadly, that’s not the case here. On top of Microsoft being hacked, which is an issue in itself, the hack was apparently used to promote cryptocurrency.

Microsoft has since deleted its post on the situation, but the company apologized for the post about bringing Clippy back and emphasized that it does not endorse cryptocurrency. The Verge captured a…