Meet Rodney Burton, a man who earned the not-so-glamorous nickname “Bitcoin Rodney” – a moniker that sounds like a cartoon superhero but is in fact a person deeply entangled in the colossal mess of the HyperFund scheme. Imagine a fateful lovechild of cryptocurrency enthusiasm and a well-aimed poker bluff gone very wrong. Nearly two years after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) played the part of the party poopers, new charges have landed, making sure Rodney’s name stays in the spotlight – or at least in the legal papers.
In January 2024, the US DOJ decided to bring Xue Lee, affectionately known as Sam Lee, and Brenda Chunga, who prefers to embrace ‘Bitcoin Beautee’, into the spotlight. Turns out, these characters spun a tale so unbelievable that even the most gullible might have thought it was a grocery store full of free samples. The story? They claimed that investors would be rolling in crypto riches, thanks to mining operations that apparently existed only in the realm of fantasy.
By 2022, the scheme had crumbled faster than a cookie left out in the rain, leaving investors with little more than an unwelcome lesson in trusting strangers with your digital cash. The SEC, with all the subtlety of a marching band, declared HyperFund a vacuous shell of a business, with no actual revenue – just a big pot of investor money, cleverly disguised as a crypto gold rush.
US DOJ Adds Wire Fraud Charge To HyperFund’s Promoter
Fast forward to December 12 – a day that will go down in crypto infamy – when the Maryland-based US Attorney’s Office decided Burton deserved some extra attention. Now, the 56-year-old crypto promoter faces serious charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of money laundering, and one big ticket item: operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The potential prison sentence? Up to 20 years – enough time to consider a career change, or at least to read all those books you never got around to.
If guilt is proven, Burton might have to part with his luxury condo, snazzy sports cars, and even a yacht, all apparently bought with investors’ hard-earned cash. This crypto influencer had a knack for hosting celebrities like Akon, Jamie Fox, and Rick Ross – an odd mix of fame and financial fiasco, but hey, who doesn’t want a glam crew for their crypto schemes?
Burton claims he thought he was running a legitimate enterprise – which is a bit like claiming you thought hiding the evidence was a good idea. His trial is set for March 2026, which is approximately forever in the fast-paced world of crypto scandals.
The State of the Crypto Market
Meanwhile, the entire crypto universe is valued at about $3.05 trillion, having nudged up 0.2% in the last 24 hours. A tiny bump, but enough to keep the moonshots and crashes well-fed for now.
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2025-12-14 15:29