Techno-oligarchs, cartels, organized crime and you.

Where did this brigade of crypto miscreants emerge from? They hatched numerous plots to rake in money, almost always utilizing cryptocurrencies, primarily Bitcoin, for transactions. A handful of these schemes are detailed in the Learn More. Over the years, these outlaws earned, pilfered, and mined Bitcoin in droves. These Bitcoins, initially valued at mere cents, began to skyrocket in value. In the span of a decade or so, the worth of each coin spiraled from pennies to an astonishing tens of thousands of dollars each. 

Imagine this, a $3,000 investment in Bitcoin in January 2011 would be worth a staggering $290 million USD just a decade later. These criminals were thus set on a path to commit more egregious crimes. The question that now arises is, what could they possibly do next? The chilling answer is, whatever the F*%# they wanted!  

Here are some of the excesses they tried out: 

Private Islands Purchase:  At least one Bitcoin millionaire purchased a private island in the Caribbean . Cryptocurrency has often been used purchase real estate.

Luxury Vehicles: High-end cars like Bugatti, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and more have a regular purchase for these folks. Even adding the Bitcoin logo or their Bitcoin wallet QR code custom-painted onto them.

Art and NFTs: Many of the Bitcoin millionaires have splurged on digital assets like NFT (Non-Fungible Token) art, buying pieces for millions of dollars. 

Donations: Thoughtful  spending has been large but usually private donations  the police department, political campaigns, schools, education, healthcare, etc.

A weird one is the purchase of Crypto Pets and Virtual Real Estate: In the crypto world, virtual pets and property have become a thing. CryptoKitties and Decentraland are two examples where users can buy, sell, and trade virtual assets. Some Bitcoin millionaires have spent lavishly in these virtual worlds.

Sponsoring Tech Events or Start-ups: Some Bitcoin millionaires have sponsored tech events, hackathons, or by investing in promising start-ups.  From these ventures, they have recruited promising talent. 

Bling: There have been stories of Bitcoin millionaires buying gold-plated iPhones, diamond-encrusted watches, or other ostentatious items, to demonstrate their newfound wealth. 

Party Party Party: Throwing extravagant parties with a Bitcoin or crypto theme, hiring top-of-the-line event planners and featuring high-profile guests and performances.

Extravagant Trips: Traveling the world in luxury, booking entire floors of hotels, or chartering private jets and yachts for extended globe-trotting trips.

Believe it or not, this became boring.  What was next, using their skills and money to take over boroughs, towns and small cites.  

Read about recruitment next.