SAD_
Autopsy report

OneCoin

ONE | Ponzi / MLM
Ponzi / pyramidDied Oct 2017

Sold as 'the next Bitcoin' through MLM seminars, with no real public blockchain behind it. Co-founder Ruja Ignatova disappeared in October 2017 and remains wanted.

Missed warning signs
  1. 1-4y
  2. 2-3y
  3. 3-3y
  4. XDeath

Spacing is ordinal, not to scale. Numbers match the list below.

  1. 1

    No public blockchain or block explorer, so the 'coin' lived only in a private database.

    Visible 4 years before death | No public ledger

    U.S. Department of Justice (SDNY)BBC News

  2. 2

    The price was set by the company and only ever went up.

    Visible 3 years before death | Price set by the issuer

    Bloomberg Law

  3. 3

    Sold through high-pressure MLM packages aimed at non-technical buyers.

    Visible 3 years before death | Pay-to-recruit referrals

    BBC NewsU.S. Department of Justice (SDNY)

The lesson

If there is no public ledger, there is no coin. Just a list.

Sources
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Editorial summary of public reporting. Allegations are labeled as allegations. Not financial or legal advice.

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