Bitcoin
$25,575.70-6.22%
Ethereum
$1,802.72-5.44%
Binance Coin
$273.92-10.66%
XRP
$0.50168150-7.47%
Cardano
$0.34888800-8.47%
Dogecoin
$0.06596980-9.62%
Solana
$19.86-10.61%
Polygon
$0.83173771-8.07%
Tron
$0.07759245-5.31%
Litecoin
$87.11-9.33%
Polkadot
$5.05-5.76%
Binance USD
$0.99957743-0.04%
Avalanche
$13.86-7.08%
Shiba Inu
$0.00000793-8.41%
Wrapped Bitcoin
$25,609.50-6.14%
Uniswap
$4.71-6.92%
Chainlink
$6.03-7.55%
Cosmos
$9.99-7.66%
Monero
$141.51-4.79%
Ethereum Classic
$16.86-8.17%
Stellar
$0.08764400-4.89%
Bitcoin Cash
$107.92-7.65%
Internet Computer
$4.31-11.45%
Lido DAO
$2.10-9.21%
Filecoin
$4.17-10.89%
Quant
$113.81-2.29%
Aptos
$7.96-14.40%
Hedera
$0.04784669-5.85%
Crypto.com
$0.05790488-5.15%
Arbitrum
$1.13-8.14%
NEAR Protocol
$1.48-9.95%
VeChain
$0.01855671-7.35%
ApeCoin
$2.84-11.97%
The Graph
$0.11358255-10.66%
Paxos Dollar
$0.99597771-0.33%
Algorand
$0.13738694-10.42%
The Sandbox
$0.51128400-15.32%
EOS
$0.83356100-9.81%
Elrond
$35.74-6.64%
Optimism
$1.34-10.91%
Aave
$59.22-6.94%
Decentraland
$0.45255502-12.23%
Fantom
$0.28889597-12.60%
Tezos
$0.85468500-7.40%
Theta
$0.76944742-9.40%
Axie Infinity
$6.59-9.57%
Stacks
$0.53483587-13.96%
Immutable X
$0.71806630-13.52%
Synthetix
$2.24-6.21%
Flow
$0.65547833-10.84%
NEO
$9.14-13.38%
Curve DAO Token
$0.77900699-9.45%
Gala
$0.02619003-12.76%
Maker
$650.38-5.89%
Bitcoin SV
$30.18-8.98%
Injective Protocol
$7.16-9.58%
Kava.io
$0.97323934-3.57%
Luna Classic
$0.00009219-15.45%
BitTorrent
$0.00000055-6.92%
IOTA
$0.18295347-11.32%
PAX Gold
$1,917.03-1.28%
Chiliz
$0.09319921-9.37%
Mina
$0.50255907-9.31%
eCash
$0.00002277-8.54%
Dash
$38.84-10.37%
Trust Wallet Token
$0.95001571-11.82%
Woo Network
$0.21070191-15.06%
Nexo
$0.63653197-4.17%
Zilliqa
$0.02113207-13.33%
Flare
$0.02110727-7.92%
Mask Network
$3.95-12.49%
THORChain
$1.07-9.41%
dYdX
$1.99-7.39%
Loopring
$0.25090776-11.09%
PancakeSwap
$1.53-12.60%
Enjin
$0.30460373-9.88%
Basic Attention Token
$0.19957000-9.43%
Convex Finance
$3.81-10.86%
FLOKI
$0.00002749-13.39%
NEM
$0.03001602-9.90%
Illuvium
$50.31-6.13%
Holo
$0.00147870-8.28%
Oasis Network
$0.05156843-10.20%
Baby Doge Coin
$0.00000000-8.70%
Qtum
$2.44-9.58%
Zcash
$29.20-9.44%
Fetch.ai
$0.23700182-14.24%
Celo
$0.47728841-13.93%
Ethereum Name Service
$9.24-9.52%
Kusama
$25.20-9.68%
Audius
$0.21506818-11.05%
Ravencoin
$0.01882017-10.72%
SXP
$0.39399861-13.27%
Compound
$32.22-10.19%
Terra 2.0/LUNA
$0.77528678-17.51%
Bitcoin Gold
$12.22-2.42%
BLUR
$0.42911235-15.64%
Decred
$13.95-10.09%
IoTeX
$0.02214407-7.71%
ICON
$0.21752952-11.46%
Stepn
$0.23559953-14.16%
JasmyCoin
$0.00425684-11.25%
Helium
$1.39-7.42%
Yearn Finance
$5,952.36-9.11%
Ankr
$0.02342525-11.66%
EthereumPoW
$1.71-18.23%
Braintrust
$0.71865540-1.93%
Moonbeam
$0.26697217-6.58%
0x
$0.20163688-9.83%
Band Protocol
$1.29-11.81%
Wax
$0.04883599-10.11%
Harmony
$0.01273738-13.03%
Waves
$1.56-11.36%
Siacoin
$0.00299213-7.16%
Sushiswap
$0.76212740-12.30%
SafePal
$0.38109940-7.37%
Joe
$0.39573596-14.20%
Gains Network
$4.38-10.11%
Aragon
$3.29-9.02%
Amp
$0.00234577-9.41%
Skale
$0.02900098-16.05%
Synapse
$0.67149434-6.66%
Livepeer
$4.52-13.40%
UMA Protocol
$1.77-11.36%
TerraUSD
$0.01277693-15.25%
Stargate Finance
$0.60778150-10.86%
DigiByte
$0.00731369-9.40%
Alchemy Pay
$0.02373311-14.33%
Cartesi
$0.15757174-15.05%
Ribbon Finance
$0.16142552+0.80%
Lisk
$0.78395545-7.31%
Polymath Network
$0.12440027-10.53%
Nervos Network
$0.00324299-12.37%
Dogelon Mars
$0.00000019-5.49%
SPACE ID
$0.37331225-20.27%
NuCypher
$0.07993467+0.01%
Kyber Network
$0.56367751-11.37%
iExec RLC
$1.34-13.67%
Nano
$0.71353249-2.03%
OMG Network
$0.67118156-15.62%
MetisDAO
$21.03-5.75%
Syscoin
$0.11903670-9.45%
Smooth Love Potion
$0.00201268-9.11%
Numeraire
$13.45-7.93%
Celsius
$0.18754312-19.16%
Vulcan Forged PYR
$3.26-7.58%
Chromia
$0.13585827-15.48%
Steem
$0.17674126-5.54%
Ren
$0.07655672-7.92%
Dent
$0.00077448-11.71%
COTI
$0.06135027-9.97%
Secret
$0.34215216-12.57%
MOBOX
$0.36334596-11.55%
NKN
$0.10952537-16.99%
WINkLink
$0.00007106-5.38%
Civic
$0.07853245-8.71%
Request
$0.08160831-8.09%
Keep Network
$0.11287311-9.15%
Bifrost
$0.04831600-6.57%
Spell Token
$0.00052325-11.19%
Bancor
$0.38760664-7.07%
CEEK VR
$0.07137460-10.55%
Sun Token
$0.00572061-6.59%
SuperRare
$0.08111334-13.71%
Index Chain
$0.06646998-18.67%
Augur
$6.08-6.43%
WazirX
$0.10605767-13.72%
XYO Network
$0.00380205-4.57%
Reef
$0.00195578-12.20%
Stormx
$0.00391984-10.24%
Raydium
$0.20528233-5.92%
Moonriver
$5.95-8.62%
LooksRare
$0.07507553-15.88%
RACA
$0.00011782-13.30%
Storj
$0.27015366-10.65%
Saitama
$0.00085625-4.90%
Voyager Token
$0.12560614-11.48%
Orchid
$0.06127582-8.29%
GAS
$2.54-10.62%
Star Atlas DAO
$0.17287568-3.73%
Polkastarter
$0.31546533-11.24%
Yield Guild Games
$0.16466535-13.46%
Adventure Gold
$0.38901806-11.13%
Verge
$0.00176810-9.21%
Kishu Inu
$0.00000000-14.74%
Alpaca Finance
$0.17850798-10.34%
Serum
$0.06675114-11.61%
Enzyme
$17.08-7.10%
Ampleforth Governance
$2.60-11.92%
CLV
$0.04012390-13.11%
Quickswap
$49.93-12.14%
Blue Zelle
$0.05713474-14.35%
district0x
$0.02800000-1.41%
Star Atlas
$0.00175384-8.17%
Stafi
$0.30611027-11.87%
Harvest Finance
$24.70-10.45%
Samoyedcoin
$0.00352856+0.13%
Rarible
$1.09-5.48%
Green Satoshi Token
$0.01441464-7.07%
Tokemak
$0.71279458-5.71%
Quantstamp
$0.01207407-4.25%
Mirror Protocol
$0.02962235-14.21%
SingularDTV
$0.000402100.00%
FTX Token
$0.85637955-12.07%
Pepe
$0.00000102-18.78%
Tether
$1.00+0.02%
USD Coin
$1.00+0.03%
Dai
$1.00+0.04%
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Crypto Prices CoinDesk Market Index CoinDesk Market Index

Pyramid Scheme

Avatar has become the fifth-largest holder of Polygon (Alexander Gray/Unsplash)
Finance
Polygon
Fifth-Largest Holder of Polygon Tokens Is Little-Known Chinese Crypto Project
At least one observer says Avatar is a multilevel-marketing (MLM) scheme in which users generate significant rewards for every person they successfully refer.
Avatar has become the fifth-largest holder of Polygon (Alexander Gray/Unsplash)
By Oliver Knight
Feb 13, 2023 at 11:41 a.m. UTC
Feb 13, 2023
PolygonMATICStakingPyramid Scheme
Ruja Ignatova and Sebastian Greenwood (OneCoin)
Policy
Doj
Co-Founder of OneCoin Pyramid Scheme Pleads Guilty; ‘CryptoQueen’ Still Wanted
Karl Greenwood has admitted to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges in the $4 billion OneCoin scam, the U.S. Department of Justice says.
Ruja Ignatova and Sebastian Greenwood (OneCoin)
By Jesse Hamilton
Dec 16, 2022 at 7:13 p.m. UTC
Dec 16, 2022
DOJSouthern district of new yorkOneCoinUSFraudPyramid Scheme
CDCROP: Dr. Ruja Ignatova
Layer 2
Onecoin
The Missing CryptoQueen Has Friends in (Very) High Places
With evidence of complicity at the very highest levels of government, the BBC’s years-long investigation into the OneCoin pyramid scheme returns.
CDCROP: Dr. Ruja Ignatova
By David Z. Morris
Nov 2, 2022 at 4:12 p.m. UTC
Nov 2, 2022
OneCoinFraudUnited Arab EmiratesPyramid SchemeThe NodeNewslettersOpinion
CDCROP: Brazilian flag (Getty Images)
Finance
No-livewire
Policía brasileña emite órdenes de arresto contra el presunto líder de un esquema piramidal de US$767 millones
Francisley Valdevino da Silva, conocido como el “jeque de las criptomonedas”, tiene 20 órdenes de incautación en su contra.
CDCROP: Brazilian flag (Getty Images)
By Paulo Alves
Oct 7, 2022 at 7:39 p.m. UTC
Oct 7, 2022
no-livewireBrazilPyramid SchemeArrest
CDCROP: Brazilian flag (Getty Images)
Finance
Brazil
Brazilian Police Issue Warrants Against Alleged Leader of $767M Crypto Pyramid Scheme
Francisley Valdevino da Silva, known as the "cryptocurrency sheik," has 20 seizure warrants against him.
CDCROP: Brazilian flag (Getty Images)
By Paulo Alves
Oct 7, 2022 at 5:35 p.m. UTC
Oct 7, 2022
BrazilPyramid Scheme
CDCROP: Lado Okhotnikov (Forsage)
Consensus Magazine
Opinion
How to Stop Forsage, Meta Force and Other Smart Contract Pyramid Schemes
An SEC indictment notwithstanding, it's not easy to taking down online pyramid schemes, says our columnist. Here are some ideas.
CDCROP: Lado Okhotnikov (Forsage)
By JP Koning
Aug 8, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. UTC
Aug 8, 2022
OpinionPonziSECPyramid Scheme
CoinDesk - Unknown
Video
Dogecoin
Elon Musk Reiterates Dogecoin Support Despite Lawsuit
“The Hash” team discusses Elon Musk’s recent tweet about “supporting Dogecoin,” despite the Tesla CEO facing a $258 billion lawsuit over claims of an alleged pyramid scheme to back the cryptocurrency.
CoinDesk - Unknown
By CoinDesk Staff
Jun 21, 2022 at 6:21 p.m. UTC
Jun 21, 2022
DogecoincdtvTeslaElon MuskHash clipPyramid Scheme
EmeniFX
Policy
Fraud
N.Y. Man Arrested, Charged With Fraud for Alleged Role in $59M Crypto Pyramid Scheme
The FBI says Eddy Alexandre promised investors he could double their money with a “robo-adviser” – and then spent their money on luxury cars and business expenses.
EmeniFX
By Cheyenne Ligon
May 12, 2022 at 9:44 p.m. UTC
May 12, 2022
FraudFBIPyramid SchemeNew YorkCrypto
Shanghai (Freeman Zhou/Unsplash)
Policy
China
Shanghai Police Bust $16M Crypto Pyramid Scheme
It's the city's first cracked case of an online pyramid scheme that used cryptocurrencies, according to authorities.
Shanghai (Freeman Zhou/Unsplash)
By Eliza Gkritsi
Mar 15, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. UTC
Mar 15, 2022
ChinaScamsPyramid SchemeShanghaiCrypto
LuLaRoe founders Mark and Deanne Stidham. LuLaRoe and other MLMs were among 1,100 companies warned by the FTC against overstating the earning potential of its offerings – alongside several cryptocurrency exchanges. (Amazon Studios)
Markets
Pyramid scheme
The FTC Doesn’t See the Difference Between Crypto and LuLaRoe
A warning that lumped crypto exchanges with MLMs is misguided. But it’s also an important window into regulators’ mindsets.
LuLaRoe founders Mark and Deanne Stidham. LuLaRoe and other MLMs were among 1,100 companies warned by the FTC against overstating the earning potential of its offerings – alongside several cryptocurrency exchanges. (Amazon Studios)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 27, 2021 at 5:37 p.m. UTC
Oct 27, 2021
Pyramid SchemeFraudInvestingBlockchainGeminiGemini ExchangeOpinion