Dmitry Saksonov, a convicted fraudster from Eastern Europe, is at the center of a cryptocurrency scheme known as Blockchain Sports. The operation, which began in mid-to-late 2023, has now culminated in an exit-scam involving the ATLA token on the MEXC crypto exchange.
Saksonov operates from Dubai, where he has established Blockchain Sports. Initially, the company presented itself as a football academy aiming to generate revenue. Early versions of the scheme revolved around the SPORTS and FTBLL tokens. After these initial ventures collapsed, Blockchain Sports partnered with Jeremy Roma, a U.S. national with a history of fraudulent activities. Roma was previously involved in the Daisy Global Ponzi scheme, which collapsed in late 2023.
The partnership with Roma led to a relaunch of Blockchain Sports around February 2024. This iteration introduced a new multi-level marketing division called "Limitless." The core of this rebooted scheme was an NFT "node position" Ponzi centered on the ATLA token. Investors were persuaded to purchase node positions, with prices reaching up to 100,000 USDT. These positions promised passive returns in ATLA, which could then be further staked for additional ATLA tokens.
When the ATLA node investment scheme failed to meet expectations, Blockchain Sports pivoted again in late 2024. They began marketing "drift pack" investment positions, priced as high as 115,000 USDT. The new narrative promoted "drift pool" shares, purportedly linked to "AI racing." This venture also faltered, drawing attention in Belarus but failing to gain traction elsewhere.
By mid-2025, Blockchain Sports initiated its final exit-scam, announcing the ATLA token would be listed on the MEXC crypto exchange on August 17th. MEXC has a documented history of regulatory warnings from multiple jurisdictions, including Japan, Ontario, Malaysia, Spain, Hong Kong, Quebec, British Columbia, Austria, the UK, and Germany. Jeremy Roma has publicly referred to MEXC as his "favorite exchange," citing its utility in money laundering. The final marketing push for ATLA on MEXC promised immense wealth through "institutional investors." This led to further investment fraud as Blockchain Sports introduced new ATLA offerings.
The individuals associated with Blockchain Sports include COO Artem Karapetyan, Sergey Solousov, Dimitri Mikhalchuk, Vinay Ganga, Mohammad Alhnaity, Alexander Lorenz, Anatoli Javalenka, and Vincent O’Grady. Victims of the Daisy Global scheme were specifically targeted, many hoping to recoup their prior losses.
Investors seeking to report cryptocurrency fraud or find recovery resources should contact the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy.