$41 Million Crypto Investment Scheme Collapses in Australia

In Australia, a massive cryptocurrency investment scheme involving approximately US$41 million and over 450 investors has collapsed. The country’s financial market regulator successfully obtained a court order to appoint receivers for the digital currency assets held by a group of three crypto mining companies, collectively known as NGS Companies, and their sole directors.

Bust of a Crypto Investment Scheme

The court order, issued on Wednesday, was part of the civil proceedings initiated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) against NGS Crypto Pty Ltd, NGS Digital Pty Ltd, and NGS Group Ltd, along with their respective sole directors Brett Mendham, Ryan Brown, and Mark Ten Caten.

Additionally, the court has restricted Mendham from traveling outside Australia.

NGS Companies offered investment packages supported by their cryptocurrency mining activities. These packages guaranteed fixed-rate returns as high as 16 percent annually, according to the company's website, with a minimum fixed return promised at 6 percent.

The regulator highlighted that the schemes particularly encouraged investors to transfer funds from regulated superannuation funds to self-managed super funds (SMSFs), which were then converted into cryptocurrency. The promotional material on the company’s website, including “testimonials” and “stories,” seemed to specifically target elderly investors.

Regulator Gets Wary

ASIC's action was prompted by concerns that the invested funds in these cryptocurrency schemes were at risk of dissipation. Notably, none of the three implicated companies possessed the necessary financial services licenses to operate legally in Australia. ASIC is now holding them accountable for illegally marketing crypto mining-backed investment products.

“Australians who choose to self-manage their superannuation should carefully consider the risks before using their SMSF to invest in crypto-related investment products such as blockchain mining,” advised Joe Longo, the Chair of ASIC. “These proceedings should also serve as a warning to the crypto industry that ASIC will continue to scrutinize products to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations and to protect consumers.”

Earlier this year, the Australian regulator dismantled similar crypto-backed schemes that promised astronomical profits and banned a director of a crypto fund for dishonest operations.