Audit log

Every state-changing event for Darwin Labs Private Limited: moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot taken at submission time, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-06-17 12:06:17Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchoranchored

   chain

   ●mainnet-betaslot 427,066,726

   sig

   5APiUYeEMykQ…v1ZCwmQ6copyexplorer ↗

   hash

   2ismKy6acwTZ…5WoewRNecopysha256 → base58

   verifying row…full verify ↗

   canonical bytes (27304 B) ▸

   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"5087a9e8-fd5e-4a03-bda7-7972b43a30c8","kind":"publish","page_slug":"darwin-labs-private-limited","published_at":"2026-06-17T12:06:17.444Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Darwin Labs Private Limited","sections":[{"content":"Darwin Labs Private Limited is a private limited company incorporated on May 27, 2016, registered with the Registrar of Companies in Delhi (CIN: U74999DL2016PTC300577). The company describes its focus as Ad Tech, Bitcoin, blockchain, and mixed reality. Its three co-founders are Sahil Baghla, Ayush Varshney, and Nikunj Jain. Prior to the fraud investigation, the company operated as a venture studio and technology services provider. Ayush Varshney was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2018 for work at NashVentures, which he co-ran alongside Darwin Labs. The company's stated mission was 'to evolve Businesses, Technologies and Mankind.' Its eFiling status with Indian corporate registries has been listed as Active.","heading":"Company Overview","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Private Limited Company Registration Details — IndiaFilings","type":"official","url":"https://www.indiafilings.com/search/darwin-labs-private-limited-cin-U74999DL2016PTC300577"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree Arrested in $2.1B GainBitcoin Fraud Case — Phemex","type":"news_article","url":"https://phemex.com/blogs/forbes-30-under-30-arrested-crypto-fraud"}]},{"content":"The CBI and Indian law enforcement allege that Darwin Labs Private Limited was instrumental in developing the entire technological infrastructure supporting the GainBitcoin fraud scheme, which was operated through Variabletech Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-incorporated entity controlled by Amit Bhardwaj and his brother Ajay Bhardwaj. According to the official CBI press release (PIB reference PRID 2238127), the infrastructure allegedly developed by Darwin Labs and its co-founders included: the Bitcoin mining pool platform GBMiners.com; a Bitcoin payment gateway; the Coin Bank Bitcoin wallet; and the GainBitcoin investor-facing website. Authorities further allege that Darwin Labs played a central role in designing, developing, and deploying the MCAP cryptocurrency token and its associated ERC-20 smart contract — a token that was later substituted for Bitcoin payouts when the scheme began to collapse around 2017. Darwin Labs reportedly received a 20 percent cut from the GBMiners venture for its technical services. In April 2017, Darwin Labs issued a public press release via PR Newswire stating it had officially ended its vendor relationship with GBMiners, with CEO Sahil Baghla stating the company did not want to be 'associated with something which has the slightest probability of suspicion.' This statement came approximately one year before two of the company's co-founders were arrested in connection with the same scheme. CBI charges against the co-founders include Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.","heading":"Alleged Role in the GainBitcoin Ponzi Scheme","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Key Accused in Multi-thousand Crore GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Scam — Press Information Bureau (Government of India)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2238127&reg=3&lang=2"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Officially Ends Relationship With GBMiners — PR Newswire","type":"official","url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/darwin-labs-officially-ends-relationship-with-gbminers-618313913.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs CTO in GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Case — CoinTelegraph","type":"news_article","url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/india-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-in-gainbitcoin-scam-probe"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CBI Arrests Co-Founder and CTO of Darwin Labs Private Limited in GainBitcoin Fraud Case — BW Police World","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.bwpoliceworld.com/article/cbi-arrests-co-founder-and-cto-of-darwin-labs-private-limited-in-gainbitcoin-cryptocurrency-fraud-case-597437"}]},{"content":"GainBitcoin was launched in 2015 by Amit Bhardwaj and his brother Ajay Bhardwaj via Variabletech Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-registered entity. The scheme promised investors returns of 10 percent per month in Bitcoin for 18 months, ostensibly through cloud-mining contracts. Industry observers and Indian exchange Zebpay publicly flagged the scheme as unsustainable as early as January 2017, noting that the promised returns were approximately 2.5 times what the stated mining capacity could generate. The operation used a multi-level marketing structure, with payouts dependent on recruiting new participants. Around 2017, as new investor inflows dried up, the scheme shifted payouts from Bitcoin to the proprietary MCAP token, which held significantly lower value. The CBI estimates approximately 8,000 investors were affected with losses of roughly Rs 6,606 crore (approximately $790 million); some reports cite a broader pool of 80,000 to 100,000 victims and potential losses exceeding Rs 20,000 crore (approximately $2.1 billion at current Bitcoin prices) when the full value of approximately 29,000 to 80,000 Bitcoin collected is taken into account. Amit Bhardwaj was arrested at Bangkok airport in March 2018 and died of cardiac arrest in January 2022 before trial concluded. Ajay Bhardwaj and other co-conspirators remain subjects of the ongoing investigation.","heading":"GainBitcoin Scheme: Background and Scale","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"GBMiners Founder Running a Ponzi Scheme — CoinJournal (January 2017)","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/founder-india-based-bitcoin-mining-pool-gbminers-running-ponzi-scheme/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"$790 Million Alleged Losses Linked to GainBitcoin as CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder — Finance Magnates","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.financemagnates.com/trending/790-million-alleged-losses-linked-to-gainbitcoin-as-cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"India Arrests Key Figure in $800 Million Bitcoin Scam After a Decade — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","url":"https://beincrypto.com/india-arrests-crypto-founder-in-gainbitcoin-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree Arrested in $2.1B GainBitcoin Fraud Case — Phemex","type":"news_article","url":"https://phemex.com/blogs/forbes-30-under-30-arrested-crypto-fraud"}]},{"content":"In April 2018, Pune Police arrested Darwin Labs co-founders Sahil Baghla and Nikunj Jain in connection with Amit Bhardwaj's cryptocurrency scheme, then estimated at approximately $300 million. Police described both as 'experts in making online payment gateways' who had 'prepared gateways for the Gain Bitcoin Company owned by Amit Bhardwaj.' Email evidence reportedly showed the group had planned to hire legal and accounting professionals to facilitate international money transfers for tax avoidance purposes. At the time of Baghla and Jain's arrests, authorities seized approximately 43 Bitcoin, 80 Ethereum, and cash worth roughly $49,800. A district court ordered 14 days of police custody. Ayush Varshney, the third co-founder, evaded arrest at that time and went underground. Sahil Baghla had previously founded Bluegape; Nikunj Jain had founded Frankly.me and later became identified as the founder of Vaomi AI.","heading":"Co-Founder Arrests: 2018","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Founders Arrested in Amit Bhardwaj's Cryptocurrency Scam — Inc42 (April 2018)","type":"news_article","url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/two-startup-founders-arrested-in-connection-with-amit-bhardwajs-300-mn-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"GainBitcoin Scam: CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Cofounder Ayush Varshney — Inc42 (March 2026)","type":"news_article","url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/gainbitcoin-scam-cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-cofounder-ayush-varshney/"}]},{"content":"Ayush Varshney, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Darwin Labs Private Limited, remained a fugitive for approximately eight years following his co-founders' arrests in 2018. A Look Out Circular was issued against him as he was classified as absconding. On March 9, 2026, immigration authorities intercepted Varshney at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai as he allegedly attempted to board a flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was handed over to the CBI and formally arrested on March 10, 2026. A Delhi court subsequently remanded him to judicial custody until March 30, 2026. According to CBI press releases issued via the Press Information Bureau of India, Varshney's role in the scheme centered on the design and technical deployment of the cryptocurrency infrastructure. The CBI characterized the March 2026 arrest as the first in the case under its unified investigative mandate, noting that further arrests are anticipated as the investigation continues. The charges against Varshney include Sections 120B, 406, and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.","heading":"Ayush Varshney Arrest: 2026","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Key Accused in Multi-thousand Crore GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Scam — Press Information Bureau (Government of India), PIB PRID 2238160","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2238160&reg=3&lang=2"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder in ₹20,000 Crore GainBitcoin Scam — Business Standard","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-in-20-000-cr-gain-bitcoin-scam-case-126031100423_1.html"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder in GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Fraud Case — Newsonair (Government of India)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-in-gainbitcoin-cryptocurrency-fraud-case"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Delhi Court Sends GainBitcoin Accused to Judicial Custody Till March 30 — ProKerala","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1740440.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"India Arrests Darwin Labs CTO as $790 Million GainBitcoin Investigation Expands — FinanceFeeds","type":"news_article","url":"https://financefeeds.com/india-arrests-darwin-labs-cto-as-790-million-gainbitcoin-investigation-expands/"}]},{"content":"India's Supreme Court directed the CBI on December 13, 2023, to consolidate and investigate all related GainBitcoin FIRs (First Information Reports) filed across multiple states — including Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Delhi, and West Bengal — as a single common investigating agency, given the case's expansive national and international dimensions. On February 25 and 26, 2025, the CBI conducted coordinated searches at over 60 locations across India, including Delhi NCR, Pune, Chandigarh, Nanded, Kolhapur, and Bengaluru. During these raids, authorities seized cryptocurrencies valued at approximately Rs 23.94 crore, multiple hardware crypto wallets, 121 documents, 34 laptops or hard disks, 12 mobile phones, and email and cloud-based evidence. The March 2026 arrest of Varshney is described by the CBI as the first formal arrest under its unified investigative mandate, with further arrests signaled as investigations proceed into the roles of other co-founders and associated individuals.","heading":"CBI Investigation: Scope and Evidence","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Conducts Raids at 60 Locations in Rs 6,600 Crore GainBitcoin Crypto Scam — Business Standard (February 2025)","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/cbi-conducts-raids-at-60-locations-in-rs-6-600-cr-gainbitcoin-crypto-scam-125022500996_1.html"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Raids at Over 60 Locations Across the Country in Cryptocurrency Scam — Newsonair (Government of India)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/cbi-raids-at-over-60-locations-across-the-country-in-cryptocurrency-scam/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Seizes Cryptocurrencies of Nearly 24 Crore Rupees in the GainBitcoin Scam — Newsonair (Government of India)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/cbi-seizes-cryptocurrencies-of-nearly-24-crore-rupees-in-the-gainbitcoin-scam/"}]},{"content":"Concerns about GainBitcoin's operations were raised publicly as early as January 2017. CoinJournal published an analysis noting that the promised returns of 10 percent per month in Bitcoin were approximately 2.5 times higher than what the stated 1.5 TH/s mining capacity could realistically generate. The analysis also flagged that contract prices remained static in Bitcoin despite the dollar price of Bitcoin roughly doubling in 2016, which would be economically anomalous for a legitimate mining business. Indian cryptocurrency exchange Zebpay publicly warned users, stating: 'We are absolutely sure that this is not possible in mining...these are scams.' Despite these early public warnings, Darwin Labs did not publicly address the allegations at the time; CEO Sahil Baghla declined to comment when contacted by CoinJournal. In April 2017, Darwin Labs issued a press release announcing the end of its vendor relationship with GBMiners, but maintained at that time that there had been no commercial ties beyond a software support arrangement.","heading":"Early Red Flags and Public Warnings","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"GBMiners's Founder Is Running a Ponzi Scheme — CoinJournal (January 2017)","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/founder-india-based-bitcoin-mining-pool-gbminers-running-ponzi-scheme/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Officially Ends Relationship With GBMiners — PR Newswire (April 2017)","type":"official","url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/darwin-labs-officially-ends-relationship-with-gbminers-618313913.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Bitcoin Mining Pool GBMiners Loses Software Vendor — CoinJournal","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/bitcoin-mining-pool-gbminers-loses-software-vendor-connection-ponzi-scheme/"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Key Accused in Multi-thousand Crore GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Scam — Press Information Bureau (PRID 2238127)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2238127&reg=3&lang=2"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Key Person in Multi-thousand Crore GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Scam — Press Information Bureau (PRID 2238160)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2238160&reg=3&lang=2"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder in ₹20,000 Crore GainBitcoin Scam — Business Standard","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-in-20-000-cr-gain-bitcoin-scam-case-126031100423_1.html"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder in GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Fraud Case — Newsonair (Government of India)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-in-gainbitcoin-cryptocurrency-fraud-case"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Conducts Raids at 60 Locations in GainBitcoin Crypto Scam — Business Standard (February 2025)","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/cbi-conducts-raids-at-60-locations-in-rs-6-600-cr-gainbitcoin-crypto-scam-125022500996_1.html"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Raids at Over 60 Locations Across the Country in Cryptocurrency Scam — Newsonair (Government of India)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/cbi-raids-at-over-60-locations-across-the-country-in-cryptocurrency-scam/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBI Seizes Cryptocurrencies of Nearly 24 Crore Rupees in the GainBitcoin Scam — Newsonair","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/cbi-seizes-cryptocurrencies-of-nearly-24-crore-rupees-in-the-gainbitcoin-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs CTO in GainBitcoin Cryptocurrency Case — CoinTelegraph","type":"news_article","url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/india-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-in-gainbitcoin-scam-probe"},{"credibility":2,"name":"GainBitcoin Scam: CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Cofounder Ayush Varshney — Inc42","type":"news_article","url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/gainbitcoin-scam-cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-cofounder-ayush-varshney/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Founders Arrested in Amit Bhardwaj's Cryptocurrency Scam — Inc42 (2018)","type":"news_article","url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/two-startup-founders-arrested-in-connection-with-amit-bhardwajs-300-mn-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"GainBitcoin Ponzi Scheme's Amit Bhardwaj Dies From Cardiac Arrest — Inc42","type":"news_article","url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/gainbitcoin-ponzi-schemess-amit-bhardwaj-dies-from-cardiac-arrest/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"$790 Million Alleged Losses Linked to GainBitcoin as CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder — Finance Magnates","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.financemagnates.com/trending/790-million-alleged-losses-linked-to-gainbitcoin-as-cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"India Arrests the Architect: CBI Nabs Darwin Labs CTO Behind $790 Million GainBitcoin Crypto Scam — Crypto Impact Hub","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoimpacthub.com/gainbitcoin-darwin-labs-cto-arrested-india-crypto-scam-2026/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"India Arrests Darwin Labs CTO as $790 Million GainBitcoin Investigation Expands — FinanceFeeds","type":"news_article","url":"https://financefeeds.com/india-arrests-darwin-labs-cto-as-790-million-gainbitcoin-investigation-expands/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Co-Founder Arrested in GainBitcoin Fraud Case — Phemex News","type":"news_article","url":"https://phemex.com/news/article/darwin-labs-cofounder-arrested-in-indias-gainbitcoin-fraud-investigation-65847"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree Arrested in $2.1B GainBitcoin Fraud Case — Phemex","type":"news_article","url":"https://phemex.com/blogs/forbes-30-under-30-arrested-crypto-fraud"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder Ayush Varshney in GainBitcoin Scam — Deccan Herald","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-ayush-varshney-in-gainbitcoin-cryptocurrency-scam-3927777"},{"credibility":2,"name":"India Arrests Suspect in Alleged Multi-year GainBitcoin Ponzi Scheme at Mumbai Airport — The Block","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.theblock.co/post/393273/india-arrests-suspect-alleged-multi-year-gainbitcoin-ponzi-scheme-mumbai-airport"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Delhi Court Sends GainBitcoin Accused to Judicial Custody Till March 30 — ProKerala","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1740440.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Indian CBI Arrests Ayush Varshney, Darwin Labs Co-Founder, Over GainBitcoin Scam — Coin Edition","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinedition.com/indian-cbi-arrests-ayush-varshney-darwin-labs-co-founder-over-gainbitcoin-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"GBMiners's Founder Is Running A Ponzi Scheme — CoinJournal (January 2017)","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/founder-india-based-bitcoin-mining-pool-gbminers-running-ponzi-scheme/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Bitcoin Mining Pool GBMiners Loses Software Vendor — CoinJournal","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/bitcoin-mining-pool-gbminers-loses-software-vendor-connection-ponzi-scheme/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Officially Ends Relationship With GBMiners — PR Newswire (April 2017)","type":"official","url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/darwin-labs-officially-ends-relationship-with-gbminers-618313913.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Darwin Labs Private Limited Company Registration — IndiaFilings","type":"official","url":"https://www.indiafilings.com/search/darwin-labs-private-limited-cin-U74999DL2016PTC300577"},{"credibility":2,"name":"India Arrests Key Figure in $800 Million Bitcoin Scam After a Decade — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","url":"https://beincrypto.com/india-arrests-crypto-founder-in-gainbitcoin-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"GainBitcoin Scam: India's CBI Arrests Darwin Labs Co-Founder Ayush Varshney In 2026 — TronWeekly","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tronweekly.com/gainbitcoin-scam-indias-cbi-arrests-darwin/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CBI Arrests Darwin Labs CTO in $790M GainBitcoin Crypto Fraud Case — The Merkle","type":"news_article","url":"https://themerkle.com/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-cto-in-790m-gainbitcoin-crypto-fraud-case/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CBI Detains Darwin Labs CTO in Connection With GainBitcoin Crypto Fraud Probe — The420.in","type":"news_article","url":"https://the420.in/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-cofounder-gainbitcoin-crypto-fraud/"}],"summary":"Darwin Labs Private Limited is an India-registered technology venture studio co-founded by Sahil Baghla, Ayush Varshney, and Nikunj Jain. Indian authorities allege the company designed and built the entire technological infrastructure underpinning the GainBitcoin Ponzi scheme, one of India's largest cryptocurrency frauds, involving approximately 8,000 investors and estimated losses of Rs 6,606 crore (roughly $790 million). Two co-founders were arrested by Pune Police in April 2018, and a third — Ayush Varshney — was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in March 2026 after being intercepted at Mumbai airport while allegedly attempting to flee to Sri Lanka.","timeline":[{"date":"2015-01-01","event":"GainBitcoin scheme launched by Amit and Ajay Bhardwaj through Singapore-incorporated Variabletech Pte. Ltd., promising 10 percent monthly Bitcoin returns for 18 months via cloud-mining contracts.","source":"Business Standard / CoinTelegraph","source_url":"https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder-in-20-000-cr-gain-bitcoin-scam-case-126031100423_1.html"},{"date":"2016-05-27","event":"Darwin Labs Private Limited formally incorporated in Delhi (CIN: U74999DL2016PTC300577) by co-founders Sahil Baghla, Ayush Varshney, and Nikunj Jain.","source":"IndiaFilings — Darwin Labs Company Registration","source_url":"https://www.indiafilings.com/search/darwin-labs-private-limited-cin-U74999DL2016PTC300577"},{"date":"2017-01-13","event":"CoinJournal publishes analysis raising red flags about GainBitcoin's unsustainable promised returns; Indian exchange Zebpay publicly warns users the scheme is a scam. Darwin Labs CEO Sahil Baghla declines to comment.","source":"CoinJournal","source_url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/founder-india-based-bitcoin-mining-pool-gbminers-running-ponzi-scheme/"},{"date":"2017-04-05","event":"Darwin Labs issues press release via PR Newswire stating it has officially ended its vendor relationship with GBMiners, citing concerns about reputational risk.","source":"PR Newswire","source_url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/darwin-labs-officially-ends-relationship-with-gbminers-618313913.html"},{"date":"2017-01-01","event":"GainBitcoin scheme begins collapsing as new investor inflows slow; payouts shift from Bitcoin to the lower-value MCAP token, which Darwin Labs co-founders allegedly helped design and deploy.","source":"Finance Magnates / Inc42","source_url":"https://www.financemagnates.com/trending/790-million-alleged-losses-linked-to-gainbitcoin-as-cbi-arrests-darwin-labs-co-founder/"},{"date":"2018-03-01","event":"GainBitcoin alleged mastermind Amit Bhardwaj arrested at Bangkok airport and extradited to Pune by Pune Police.","source":"Inc42","source_url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/gainbitcoin-ponzi-schemess-amit-bhardwaj-dies-from-cardiac-arrest/"},{"date":"2018-04-01","event":"Darwin Labs co-founders Sahil Baghla and Nikunj Jain arrested by Pune Police; authorities seize approximately 43 Bitcoin, 80 Ethereum, and cash worth roughly $49,800. Ayush Varshney evades arrest and goes underground.","source":"Inc42","source_url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/two-startup-founders-arrested-in-connection-with-amit-bhardwajs-300-mn-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme/"},{"date":"2018-01-01","event":"Ayush Varshney receives Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia recognition for work at NashVentures, three years after GainBitcoin's launch and during its active operation.","source":"Phemex","source_url":"https://phemex.com/blogs/forbes-30-under-30-arrested-crypto-fraud"},{"date":"2022-01-01","event":"Amit Bhardwaj, the alleged mastermind of GainBitcoin, dies of cardiac arrest while hospitalized at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, before trial completion.","source":"Inc42","source_url":"https://inc42.com/buzz/gainbitcoin-ponzi-schemess-amit-bhardwaj-dies-from-cardiac-arrest/"},{"date":"2023-12-13","event":"Supreme Court of India directs the CBI to investigate all related GainBitcoin FIRs filed across multiple states as a unified common investigating agency.","source":"Press Information Bureau / CoinTelegraph","source_url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2238127&reg=3&lang=2"},{"date":"2025-02-25","event":"CBI conducts coordinated searches at over 60 locations across India including Delhi NCR, Pune, Chandigarh, Nanded, Kolhapur, and Bengaluru. Authorities seize cryptocurrencies worth Rs 23.94 crore, hardware wallets, laptops, mobile phones, and digital evidence.","source":"Business Standard / Newsonair","source_url":"https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/cbi-conducts-raids-at-60-locations-in-rs-6-600-cr-gainbitcoin-crypto-scam-125022500996_1.html"},{"date":"2026-03-09","event":"Ayush Varshney intercepted by immigration authorities at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, while allegedly attempting to board a flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka; a Look Out Circular had been issued against him as he was classified as absconding.","source":"Press Information Bureau (Government of India)","source_url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2238160&reg=3&lang=2"},{"date":"2026-03-10","event":"CBI formally arrests Ayush Varshney, co-founder and CTO of Darwin Labs Private Limited, in connection with the GainBitcoin cryptocurrency fraud case. This is described as the CBI's first arrest under its consolidated investigative mandate.","source":"Press Information Bureau / Business Standard / Newsonair","source_url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2238160&reg=3&lang=2"},{"date":"2026-03-11","event":"Delhi court remands Ayush Varshney to judicial custody until March 30, 2026. CBI signals further arrests are planned as the investigation into remaining co-founders and associated individuals continues.","source":"ProKerala / Deccan Herald","source_url":"https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1740440.html"}]},"v":1}

   Verify offline (run on your own machine)

   python -m src.verify_decision 26554832-32df-4c5b-9fc0-77fd16052341copy