HyperFund / Rodney 'Bitcoin Rodney' Burton
Summary
HyperFund (also marketed as HyperVerse, HyperCapital, HyperTech, and HyperNation) was a global cryptocurrency investment scheme that allegedly raised approximately $1.89 billion from investors worldwide between June 2020 and November 2022 through fraudulent promises of daily passive returns backed by nonexistent crypto mining operations. The U.S. Department of Justice and SEC filed criminal and civil charges in January 2024 against co-founder Xue 'Sam' Lee and two key promoters, including Rodney 'Bitcoin Rodney' Burton, a Miami-based influencer who pleaded guilty on June 15, 2026 to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and personally received over $7.8 million in proceeds.
Connected Entities
1 entities · 10 linked investigations- + 1 more
Timeline(11 events)
2020-06-01
HyperFund launches, co-founded by Sam Lee and Ryan Xu, promising investors daily passive returns of 0.5% to 1% from alleged cryptocurrency mining operations.
DOJ Criminal Division: HyperFund and Associated Cases2021-07-01
HyperFund begins blocking investor withdrawals, preventing participants from accessing funds.
DOJ Criminal Division: HyperFund and Associated Cases2021-11-01
HyperFund rebrands to HyperVerse and introduces fictitious CEO 'Steven Reece Lewis,' a role played by a paid actor.
CoinDesk: HyperVerse's Alleged Ponzi Scheme Raked in Nearly $2B, Hired Actor as Fake CEO2022-01-01
Nepal's central bank issues public advisory warning citizens to avoid HyperVerse and similar high-return crypto products.
TechTimes: HyperVerse Scheme — Massive Losses Due to Crypto Scam Spark Regulatory Concerns2022-11-01
HyperFund/HyperVerse scheme ceases operation. Chainalysis later ranks HyperVerse as the largest cryptocurrency scam of 2022, with initial loss estimates of $1.3 billion.
HyperVerse Wikipedia / Chainalysis 2022 Crypto Scam Report2024-01-29
DOJ unseals criminal indictment against Sam Lee, Rodney Burton, and Brenda Chunga. SEC simultaneously files civil complaint against Sam Lee and Brenda Chunga for $1.7 billion crypto pyramid scheme.
DOJ Office of Public Affairs: Three Individuals Charged for Roles in $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme2024-11-01
Sam Lee voluntarily surrenders to Dubai authorities following an Interpol Red Notice and is detained at Al Aweer Central Prison for approximately 60 days before release.
Business For Home: HyperFund Co-Founder Sam Lee Arrested In Dubai For $1.8 Billion Fraud2025-01-01
Superseding indictment filed against Rodney Burton, expanding charges to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of money laundering, and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
DOJ District of Maryland: Miami Man Indicted on Federal Wire-Fraud Conspiracy Charges2026-06-15
Rodney 'Bitcoin Rodney' Burton pleads guilty in U.S. District Court in Maryland to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, admitting to receiving at least $7,851,711 in proceeds.
DOJ District of Maryland: Miami Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charge Connected to Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme2026-07-23
Rodney Burton sentencing scheduled before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett. Maximum exposure: five years federal prison.
DOJ Criminal Division: HyperFund and Associated Cases2027-01-07
Brenda 'Bitcoin Beautee' Chunga sentencing scheduled (rescheduled from June 29, 2026). Maximum exposure: five years federal prison.
DOJ Criminal Division: HyperFund and Associated CasesDecision Log
- hash: CkZB1cRxES1v3F65wtjcTKeJcC34N4X2CAJzV4fWv7rq
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain and source URLs are archived via the Internet Archive.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 6/27/2026, 12:14:16 PM
last updated: 6/27/2026, 12:14:26 PM
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