Rodney Burton — better known as Bitcoin Rodney — built his reputation on flash, hype, and the promise of easy wealth. But behind the superyachts, luxury cars, and Instagram bravado was an alleged role in one of the largest cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes in U.S. history: HyperFund, a $1.89 billion fraud that federal prosecutors say robbed thousands of investors worldwide.

This is the story of his meteoric rise, the criminal network he was tied to, and his spectacular fall.

From Streets to Crypto Star

Burton’s early years were far from clean. In the 2000s, he was convicted on drug trafficking charges and served a 60-month prison sentence. After his release in 2010, he reinvented himself as a business coach and crypto entrepreneur. His pitch was simple: live the dream, make easy money, join the Bitcoin revolution.

What he left out was that the “dream” was built on recruiting others into high-risk — and often fraudulent — investment schemes.

The HyperFund Connection

While Burton wasn’t a regular face on HyperFund’s public Zoom calls, he was deeply involved in promotion. He cultivated close ties with Sam Lee (HyperFund’s alleged co-founder) and Brenda Chunga (a top recruiter who later pled guilty).

Burton’s style was high-profile: he famously hired a superyacht for a HyperFund promotional event, using lifestyle marketing to lure new investors. The event’s footage was carefully edited so it wasn’t clear what was actually being promoted — until, in one interview, a participant slipped and mentioned “HyperVerse.” Others described it only as “a great platform,” but that slip became the missing puzzle piece linking the event to HyperTech’s wider network and revealing how these promoters were generating their wealth.

Hours of video evidence from my own archives show how the HyperTech cartel — HyperCapital, HyperFund, HyperVerse, HyperNation, and HyperCosmos — was the same Ponzi model rebranded repeatedly. It wasn’t just about changing names; it was about hiding the true source of the money and the Platform.

Who Was Really Behind HyperFund?

The true masterminds remain in the shadows, but evidence points to three key figures:

  • Sam Lee — Alleged co-founder, now wanted by U.S. authorities.
  • Allan (Liang) Guo — Former Blockchain Global director.
  • Ryan Xu — Longtime associate, also believed to be in Dubai since 2021.

These three have been linked to multiple collapsed crypto ventures, including Blockchain Global and the failed ACX Exchange.

Allan Guo’s ASIC Trouble

In May 2025, ASIC announced civil proceedings against Allan Guo for breaches of directors’ duties tied to Blockchain Global’s ACX Exchange collapse. The exchange owed over AUD $22 million to customers when it went under in 2019.

In an extraordinary blunder, authorities returned Guo’s passport just days before filing charges. He fled Australia immediately and hasn’t returned.

HyperTech’s Fraud Timeline

  • 2014: Bitcoin Group founded in Melbourne by Lee, Guo, and Xu.
  • 2018: HyperCapital launches.
  • 2020: HyperFund replaces HyperCapital.
  • 2021: Multiple regulators issue warnings.
  • Dec 2021: HyperVerse launches.
  • 2022: HyperNation follows, after HyperVerse stalls.

Each iteration promised 0.5%–1% daily returns, supposedly from large-scale crypto mining that didn’t exist. Each ended in blocked withdrawals and vanished funds.

DOJ Lowers the Boom

On January 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed indictments:

  • Sam Lee — Conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud.
  • Rodney Burton — Conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business (and operating one).
  • Brenda Chunga — Conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud (guilty plea).

DOJ Statement:

“The level of alleged fraud here is staggering.” — U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron

Prosecutors allege that from June 2020 to November 2022, the trio sold “memberships” promising fixed daily returns until investments doubled or tripled. In reality, there was no mining revenue — just money from new recruits paying old members.

My Role and the Secret Video

Over a year before Burton’s arrest, I had saved an unlisted Hyperverse promotional video from an archive.org page. It became a critical piece of evidence sought by the FBI, Homeland Security, IRS, and the chief federal prosecutor.

These agencies told me Burton was already facing legal trouble for drug trafficking and money laundering. HyperFund was the missing piece that could secure a maximum sentence.

At one point, Burton even tried to sell a vehicle to an undercover government agent — proof he was under surveillance long before the public knew.

The Arrest

Burton’s downfall was cinematic. He was arrested at an airport in Florida with a one-way ticket to Dubai. Prosecutors argued he was a serious flight risk — and the judge agreed. Bail was denied.

BehindMLM Updates: The Legal Grind

Thanks to BehindMLM’s tracking, we know Burton’s legal timeline:

  • Jan 2024: Indictment unsealed, Burton arrested.
  • Apr 2024: DOJ seeks victim impact statements.
  • Jun 2024: Trial scheduled for September 2024.
  • Aug 2024: Trial rescheduled to February 2025.
  • Dec 2024: Trial pushed to June 2, 2025.

Meanwhile, Sam Lee remains at large in Dubai. Ryan Xu is also believed to be there.

Two other figures — Ronae Jull (Hope Hill) and James Lockett — have been accused of being paid to publicly mislead about HyperFund’s legality.

Conclusion: The MLM Predator Unmasked

For all the showmanship, Bitcoin Rodney wasn’t a crypto innovator — he was a multi-level marketing bottom feeder. The luxury yachts, the exotic cars, the motivational speeches — all smoke and mirrors built on recruiting victims into a Ponzi scheme.

From yacht parties to federal prison, Rodney Burton’s fall is a stark warning: in the world of high-yield crypto promises, the only guaranteed winners are the promoters — and even they can end up in handcuffs.

If you’re a victim of HyperFund, the DOJ is still accepting victim impact statements. Contact victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.

Disclaimer: How This Investigation Was Conducted

This investigation relies entirely on OSINT — Open Source Intelligence — meaning every claim made here is based on publicly available records, archived web pages, corporate filings, domain data, social media activity, and open blockchain transactions. No private data, hacking, or unlawful access methods were used. OSINT is a powerful and ethical tool for exposing scams without violating privacy laws or overstepping legal boundaries.

About the Author

I’m DANNY DE HEK, a New Zealand–based YouTuber, investigative journalist, and OSINT researcher. I name and shame individuals promoting or marketing fraudulent schemes through my YOUTUBE CHANNEL. Every video I produce exposes the people behind scams, Ponzi schemes, and MLM frauds — holding them accountable in public.

My PODCAST is an extension of that work. It’s distributed across 18 major platforms — including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and iHeartRadio — so when scammers try to hide, my content follows them everywhere. If you prefer listening to my investigations instead of watching, you’ll find them on every major podcast service.

You can BOOK ME for private consultations or SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, where I share first-hand experience from years of exposing large-scale fraud and helping victims recover.

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