Florida man charged with running $328 million crypto Ponzi scheme

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Florida man charged with running $328 million crypto Ponzi scheme Prosecutors say Goliath Ventures’ Christopher Alexander Delgado raised hundreds of millions of dollars, promising investors guaranteed 3% to 8% monthly returns. By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Stephen Alpher Feb 26, 2026, 5:28 p.m. Make us preferred on Google Ponzi schemes cost victims roughly $6.5 billion globally in 2025. (Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash/Modified by Coindesk) What to know : Federal prosecutors say Christopher Alexander Delgado, 34, was arrested in Florida on charges that he ran a $328 million crypto-linked Ponzi scheme through his company, Goliath Ventures. Authorities allege Delgado promised investors "guaranteed" or low-risk monthly returns of 3 to 8 percent from cryptocurrency liquidity pools but instead used new investor money to pay earlier participants and fund withdrawals. Investigators say blockchain analysis shows only about $1.5 million was sent to a crypto platform, with most funds never placed into liquidity pools, and law enforcement is urging potential victims to contact authorities as the case proceeds. A Florida man accused of running what is arguably the largest crypto-linked Ponzi scheme involving $328 million has been arrested, federal prosecutors said Wednesday . Christopher Alexander Delgado, 34, of Apopka, Florida, was taken into custody on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison. A criminal complaint contains allegations, and Delgado is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. According to a TRM Labs global report, pyramid and Ponzi schemes received approximately $6.1 billion in victim funds globally in 2025, a 49% increase from the previous year. The most recent case prior to Goliath Ventures involves Ramil Ventura Palafox, the CEO of Praetorian Group International (PGI), who was sentenced to 20 years for misleading more than 90,000 investors and draining over $62.7 million in funds. Prosecutors allege Delgado served as president and CEO of Goliath Ventures, formerly known as Gen-Z Venture Firm, from January 2023 through January 2026. During that period, authorities claim he raised at least $328 million from investors by promising monthly returns generated through cryptocurrency “liquidity pools,” sometimes described as “guaranteed” or “low risk,” with contracts promising monthly returns of roughly 3% to 8%. Instead of investing the funds as represented, Delgado allegedly operated Goliath as a Ponzi scheme, using money from new investors to pay purported returns to earlier backers and to meet withdrawal requests. The complaint alleges that the firm’s claims about deploying capital into crypto liquidity pools were false. According to court filings , investigators said blockchain analysis showed only about $1.5 million was sent to Uniswap, while the “vast majority” of investor funds were not placed into liquidity pools. To build credibility and attract victims, prosecutors say Delgado relied on personal referrals, polished marketing materials, luxury events, charitable sponsorships and periodic payments marketed as returns. The court documents also revealed investors were shown account updates via an online portal that displayed consistent gains, but the reported “returns” were allegedly fabricated and adjusted to match promised rates. The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Orlando. Law enforcement officials are asking potential victims to come forward as the investigation continues. crypto scams United States TRM Labs More For You MetaMask expands debit card across U.S. after year-long pilot By Margaux Nijkerk , AI Boost | Edited by Sheldon Reback 3 hours ago The card lets users spend digital assets directly from their self-custodial wallets at various merchants. What to know : MetaMask is expanding the U.S. reach of its blockchain-based debit card with a nationwide rollout following a year-long pilot program. The non-custodial card now works everywhere Mastercard is accepted, including support for digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. It joins a market that already features a number of competitors , including cards on the Visa network. 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