Rodney Burton (Bitcoin Rodney)
Summary
Rodney Burton, a 56-year-old Miami-based crypto promoter operating under the alias 'Bitcoin Rodney,' pleaded guilty on June 15, 2026, to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business in connection with the HyperFund Ponzi scheme, which federal prosecutors allege collected approximately $1.89 billion from investors worldwide between 2020 and 2022. Burton personally received at least $7.85 million in fraudulent proceeds and leveraged appearances by high-profile celebrities to recruit retail investors. He was arrested in January 2024 at Miami International Airport carrying a one-way ticket to the United Arab Emirates and has been held without bail pending sentencing on July 23, 2026.
Connected Entities
1 entities · 10 linked investigations- + 5 more
Timeline(15 events)
2012-01-01
Burton alleged to have participated as a 'net winner' in ZeekRewards, a $600 million Ponzi scheme later shut down by the SEC.
BehindMLM2010-08-04
Burton released from federal prison after serving approximately five years for conspiracy to distribute cocaine (21 U.S.C. § 846).
BlockTribune2015-01-01
Burton identified as a promoter of uFun Club, a Thailand-based MLM crypto scheme.
BehindMLM2017-01-01
Burton promoted USI-Tech, an automated forex and cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that later attracted FBI scrutiny.
Engadget2020-06-01
HyperFund begins operations; Burton begins promoting the scheme to investors, according to federal prosecutors.
DOJ2021-01-01
Burton hosts 'Reinvent Yourself With Crypto' conference in Miami featuring Akon, Daymond John, Jordan Belfort, and Tiffany Haddish.
Rolling Stone2021-07-01
HyperFund begins blocking investor withdrawals, according to federal prosecutors.
DOJ — District of Maryland2022-01-01
HyperFund scheme winds down; Burton's promotional activity for the scheme ends around this period per prosecutors.
Crypto Briefing2024-01-04
Burton arrested at Miami International Airport carrying a one-way ticket to the United Arab Emirates.
BehindMLM2024-01-29
DOJ unseals charges against Sam Lee (indictment) and Brenda Chunga (guilty plea) in the HyperFund case; SEC files parallel civil action. Burton faces criminal complaint charging unlicensed money transmitting.
DOJ / CNBC2024-01-01
Federal judge denies bail for Burton, labeling him an extreme flight risk; pretrial detention upheld on appeal.
Bitcoin.com News2025-01-01
Superseding indictment filed against Burton adding conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two wire fraud counts, and seven money laundering counts to original charges.
The Block / IRS Criminal Investigation2026-06-15
Burton pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett in Maryland.
DOJ Criminal Division2026-07-23
Sentencing hearing scheduled before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett; Burton faces up to five years in federal prison.
DecryptDecision Log
- hash: 2jUJ3quPuGDjCvygyD5r1HZV1nK16ZiE1aJvXwkAciYE
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain and source URLs are archived via the Internet Archive.
model: claude-code-investigator
generated: 6/18/2026, 5:11:58 PM
last updated: 6/18/2026, 5:12:08 PM
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