Aladino, a cryptocurrency venture promising high returns, has surfaced with Christian Steinkeller, a known Ponzi promoter, linked to its operations. The platform’s website was inaccessible for a period, raising immediate concerns about its legitimacy and transparency.
Further investigation revealed Christian Steinkeller speaking on an Aladino webinar in early September. During this presentation, he introduced Michele Domizi as Aladino’s chief executive. Domizi’s LinkedIn profile identifies him as the CEO of Making Duplication Technologies, the company behind Duplii, a marketing platform that failed. Domizi’s profile lists his location as Dublin, Ireland, though this may not reflect his current status. Beyond Duplii, Domizi lacks a clear, verifiable history in the multi-level marketing sector, a notable absence for someone in his position.
Christian Steinkeller, alongside his brothers Aron and Stefan, gained notoriety as top earners within the $4 billion OneCoin Ponzi scheme. After OneCoin’s collapse in 2017, the Steinkeller brothers relocated to Dubai. Their subsequent ventures include MyCoin24, Planet Impact, WinWheel, and MetFi, all of which have faced scrutiny. Both the Steinkeller brothers and Michele Domizi are originally from Italy. Italian authorities indicted the Steinkeller brothers in 2021 following an investigation connecting them to organized crime, including threats and violence. Their criminal case, related to OneCoin fraud, was ongoing as of October 2022. Earlier this year, reports indicated the Steinkeller brothers hired the PR firm Eliminalia to obscure their past dealings. It is highly probable the Steinkeller brothers are involved in Aladino’s establishment and management.
Aladino offers no tangible products or services for resale. Participants can only promote Aladino affiliate memberships. The compensation structure involves affiliates investing tether (USDT) into an eight-tier NFT position investment. This investment is marketed as securing shares in a cryptocurrency mining pool. Investment tiers range from 25 USDT, promising 20% of an allocated share, to 50,000 USDT, promising 80% of a share. Aladino’s marketing materials claim a 300% annual return on investment per share, with payouts projected over five years, after which reinvestment would be necessary. Although returns are calculated annually, Aladino reportedly disburses payments in bitcoin (BTC) multiple times daily. Recruitment of new affiliates forms a key component of Aladino’s multi-level marketing aspect.
The Italian financial police, Guardia di Finanza, has issued warnings about investment scams. Investors who have lost money to schemes like Aladino are advised to report the fraud to their local law enforcement agencies and relevant financial regulatory bodies in their jurisdiction.