The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) issued a warning against Des Alpes LLC on October 17th, adding the entity to its Investment Caution List. The firm, which operated an alleged crypto pyramid scheme, was not registered to trade or advise on securities or derivatives in the province.

Investors dealing with unregistered firms face significant risks. These entities operate outside the legal framework designed to safeguard capital, meaning there are no disclosure requirements, suitability rules, or access to official dispute resolution channels. Without regulatory oversight, investors have no assurance of protection or recourse if their funds are lost.

The ASC identified several entities linked to Des Alpes. These included La Communaute des Alpes and Grace des Alpes. The scheme maintained multiple online presences, including its primary website, desalpes.world. Other related domains were gracedesalpes.ca, which promoted "The Grace Team," and innitshop.com, an e-commerce site for Des Alpes branding, though this domain was inaccessible at the time of publication.

"The Grace Team" served as a primary promotional arm for Des Alpes. Yolene Gray, Pastor Noah, and Armel Ndounkeu, also known as "Coach Armel," led these efforts. They specifically targeted potential investors through the gracedesalpes.ca platform, often using social media and online presentations to recruit new members.

Daniel Dalpe, the founder and CEO, ran Des Alpes as a multi-level marketing (MLM) crypto pyramid scheme. Such schemes promise high returns, often through the sale of a proprietary cryptocurrency or investment package, but rely on recruitment fees and new investor money to pay off earlier participants. The underlying "investment" often lacks real value or legitimate trading activity. Dalpe's operations centered in Quebec, with promotional activities heavily focused on French-speaking residents of that province.

The Alberta warning followed earlier action from Quebec regulators. The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) in Quebec had issued its own Des Alpes fraud warning on September 19th, 2025. This marked Alberta as the second Canadian province to officially caution the public about the scheme, highlighting its cross-provincial reach.

Des Alpes ultimately collapsed on January 14th, 2026, leaving investors without their funds. The firm's model, common in pyramid schemes, proved unsustainable, unable to generate genuine profits and dependent on a constant influx of new money.

Canadian investors can verify the registration status of any investment firm or individual through their provincial securities regulator's website. For Albertans, this information is available directly from the Alberta Securities Commission.