
The most honest Ponzi scheme of all time - binarnosp
https://ponzischeme.io
======
fbonetti
I know this is a joke, but there are numerous real life Ponzi and pyramid
schemes based on Ethereum smart contracts. PonziCoin, PoWH3D, and EthPhoenix
transparently advertise themselves as Ponzi/pyramid schemes. There's also a
whole genre of "hot potato" collectible games that operate like pyramid
schemes. CryptoCelebrities and CryptoKitties are a couple well known games in
this genre.

Personally, I don't think there's anything unethical about transparent pyramid
schemes. They're essentially gambling games where players bet on the greed of
other players. The greediest players end up "holding the bag" while every one
else makes money. These games can be pretty profitable if you play
conservatively.

~~~
frgtpsswrdlame
>The greediest players end up "holding the bag" while every one else makes
money.

Bag holders aren't the greediest players they're the last players.

>These games can be pretty profitable if you play conservatively.

Huh? How exactly do you play ponzi schemes conservatively?

~~~
mieseratte
> Huh? How exactly do you play ponzi schemes conservatively?

Get in and out quickly taking the, presumably higher-than-normal, ROI with
you. Typically with ponzi schemes, folks put in and keep their money in to
compound because, on paper, they have insane ROIs. Their greed blinds them to
the "too good to be true."

Still, Ponzi schemes _do_ payout to some amount of people, those who pull out
before it is too late. None of this is to say you won't be left holding the
bag, but if you're an "in-and-out" player you have a better chance of not
being the one left holding the bag compared to those who see fake numbers and
let greed wash over them.

------
leroy_masochist
"Want to join our marketing team? Tweet about us!"

Funny _and_ profound

~~~
snoman
Of everything on the page, this was particularly clever.

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kerng
What is so great about this is that in today's age anyone can create a great
looking website, appear professional and really pull off things like this. Use
fancy job titles, like Second Layer Expert (lol) and invent a bunch of other
nonsense that sounds innovative and disruptive, as well of course publish the
code to be open. It's a great prank, unfortunately backed by too many real
world cases that do exactly that, and make people lose money.

~~~
dandare
> ...anyone can create a great looking website...

The last time I tried to design and code a landing page myself it took me way
more time than expected and the website ended up looking like shit. It is not
easy as people think. (Or I am a noob, that is also an option.)

~~~
djangowithme
There are great templates available for $15. Anyone with basic html skills can
download one and change the values between html tags. I'm assuming you tried
to make one yourself, which in fact is tough and would require multiple people
to pull off.

------
kemyd
This is obviously an April Fools' Day joke, but it shows what is wrong with
crypto-backed projects (ICO's etc)

~~~
azeirah
April Fools' Day joke or not, a project exactly like this one existed way
before today.

[https://ponzicoin.co/home.html](https://ponzicoin.co/home.html)

~~~
FlailFast
And the one I made before the project you mention:

[https://ponzico.win](https://ponzico.win)

The real fun is the whitepaper (some of my better work):
[https://ponzico.win/ponzico.pdf](https://ponzico.win/ponzico.pdf)

But yeah, PonzICOs are turtles all the way down.

~~~
NetOpWibby
That whitepaper is damn good.

~~~
FlailFast
Thank you, truly! Satire is my passion, and whenever folks enjoy my work I
feel a deep sense of pride.

~~~
username223
Follow your dream -- the world needs satire now more than ever. (Though I
would prefer [twocolumn].)

------
lostmsu
Meh, there was one in Russia 2y ago. Called MMM 2.0. MMM 1.0 was also Ponzi,
but not honest.

So the guy behind them got prosecuted for MMM 1.0, finished his sentence and
then did 2.0 honestly.

~~~
jacobush
Was it _exactly_ two years ago, 1 April? :-)

~~~
lostmsu
No, it was not :(

------
bitwize
This reminds me of the time I was approached to join a multi-level marketing
scam affiliated with Transamerica. Their contact phone number was
1-800-PYRAMID. I was like "Well, at least they're up front about it and put it
right there in the phone number."

------
matte_black
I wouldn’t mind investing in an honest ponzi scheme as long as honesty tapered
off over time as the number of people joining grow, and there’s no restriction
on when you can pull out. I would have loved the super charged returns in
Bernie Madoff’s early days.

~~~
jrochkind1
I suppose any greedy person wouldn't mind "investing" in a Ponzi scheme at the
point you can still make bank on it. And of course all ponzi scheme have such
a phase, that's how they work.

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dalbasal
This is great. So many little touches.

Have a look at the licensee agreement.
[https://ponzischeme.io/images/rules.gif](https://ponzischeme.io/images/rules.gif)
Elon?

------
jrochkind1
Turns out, Ponzi schemes are illegal even if they are honest about it.

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saintPirelli
I love the roadmap!

------
duxup
90% return... amateurs!

------
aberatiu
view source also

~~~
lucb1e
For your convenience, this is what it says on top:

    
    
        <!--
        
            MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNmdysoo++////++oosydmNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNhs+//////////////////////+shNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMMMMMmy+//////////////////////////////+ymMMMMMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMMMho////////////////////////////////////ohMMMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMh+////////////////////////////////////////+hMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMd+////////////////////-..-////////////////////+dMMMMMM
            MMMMNs//////////////////////`  .//. `.////////////////sNMMMM
            MMMN+///////////////-`..-::-   ://   -/////////////////oNMMM
            MMN+////////////////`          .-.  `///////////////////+NMM
            MN+///////////////////:.             `.://///////////////+NM
            My/////////////////////-     `:-.`       .////////////////yM
            m//////////////////////`     ://///:`     `////////////////m
            y/////////////////////-     `///////:      :///////////////y
            +/////////////////////`     .::////:`     `////////////////+
            /////////////////////-                   .//////////////////
            /////////////////////`     -:-.``      `:///////////////////
            +///////////////////-     `//////:-      `/////////////////+
            y///////////////::/:`     :////////:      .////////////////y
            m//////////////.         `/////////.      -////////////////m
            My/////////////.``          ``...`       `////////////////yM
            MM+/////////////////:   `               .////////////////+MM
            MMN+////////////////-   :/:   ....``..-/////////////////+NMM
            MMMNo///////////////`  .//.  `/////////////////////////+NMMM
            MMMMMs//////////////::-///`  -////////////////////////sNMMMM
            MMMMMMd+////////////////////:///////////////////////+dMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMh+////////////////////////////////////////+hMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMMMho////////////////////////////////////ohMMMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMMMMMmy+//////////////////////////////oymMMMMMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNhs+//////////////////////+shNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
            MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNmdysoo++////++oosydmNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
        
            .:-----------------[ BUY & HODL BITCOIN ]-----------------:.
            |                                                          |
            |  * 03 JANUARY 2019:                                      |
            |  Bitcoin will be 10 years old. Even the most skeptical   |
            |  media will announce that "Bitcoin is here to stay".     |
            |  Read about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect   |
            |  and its influence on technology adoption.               |
            |                                                          |
            |  * 31 MAY 2020 (estimation):                             |
            |  The reward for mining a block will be cut in half.      |
            |  Bitcoin's inflation rate will be lower than Gold's.     |
            |                                                          |
            |  * 24 JULY 2020 - 09 AUGUST 2020:                        |
            |  Japan, one of the most cryptocurrency-friendly markets, |
            |  will be hosting the Summer Olympic Games. Thousands     |
            |  of tourists will visit the country where, as a result   |
            |  of technological progress, Bitcoin payments could be    |
            |  something normal.                                       |
            |                                                          |
            |  LAST BUT NOT LEAST:                                     |
            |  Technology advancements on every important field:       |
            |  security, privacy, speed, fees, UX.                     |
            |                                                          |	
            ':--------------------------------------------------------:'
        
        -->

~~~
sethherr
Thanks! Wouldn't have seen it without this comment, and it's a clever
addition.

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mjcohen
Aside from being an April Fool's joke, the site is very hard to read,
especially the "contract".

------
binarnosp
> If you're working for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission you can
> contact me by dedicated email address: no-reply@ponzischeme.io

------
tobyhinloopen
10/10 would invest

~~~
r3bl
Well, invest!

Seriously, there's more hidden gems in the webpage when you try to invest.

