Investing in crypto-assets: How to limit the risk of being exposed to fraud
In 2017, thousands of investors in over 175 countries found themselves with empty pockets after having invested nearly US$4 billion in a cryptocurrency called “OneCoin”.
The mastermind behind the project, Ruja Ignatova, vanished with what is believed to be the entire amount missing. This news item struck a nerve in the cryptocurrency world.
The BBC even devoted a podcast to it. And while this case was one of large-scale fraud, the fact remains that fraudulent schemes are frequent in the world of crypto-assets, which includes cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Possession of these tokens grants investors rights that can take different forms (either access to a good — like a work of art — a service or something similar to owning a stock).
