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Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

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Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#51

I don't get it, how did they get these sales if theres nothing on their website https://www.cblocks.io/ "Want a CBlock One? Enter your email - we'll notify you when we launch!"

I feel like too many "successful startup" stories are just part of their marketing and are optimized for that. Well, that and trying to get some VC funding of course.

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#52
post #46

So, this startup is headquartered in Miami, FL, and is selling randomly amounts of random cryptocurrencies to people who pay a defined amount of real US currency. That is, it looks remarkably like a private, for-profit lottery. The operation of which, and even knowing assistance or promotion of which, is a third-degree felony under Florida state law. [0] [0] http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Disp…

I'm not clear from the article that this is "random amounts" or even "of random cryptocurrencies." They just said "random wallets", which could mean a lot of different things. Even if it is random cryptocurrencies, though, if they're smart, the amounts of each of said currencies should add up—at moment of sale, when converted to USD—to a constant amount. In that case, it'd be random ratios of each currency, to fill i…

Digging deeper, the TNW article provided more info and you’re right: they are buying $25 less than the price they charge for the package (between $75 and $475) worth of a random mix of a top 300 list of cryptocurrencies from an exchange, so it's probably not a lottery (unless some or all of the underlying cryptocurrencies are lottery tickets, which is probably not legally the case however much it might practically be.)

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#53

So, this startup is headquartered in Miami, FL, and is selling randomly amounts of random cryptocurrencies to people who pay a defined amount of real US currency. That is, it looks remarkably like a private, for-profit lottery. The operation of which, and even knowing assistance or promotion of which, is a third-degree felony under Florida state law. [0] [0] http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Disp…

Is it that different from if I sell you a Euro, a Yen, a Dollar, and a Pound? They are fungible items whose value fluctuates.

How about if I sell you scrap gold jewelry on eBay? It's value will change before you get it and neither of us really knows how much gold is in it when the transaction takes place.

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#54
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thousands of smaller transactions. You are buying USB keys with a set amount of Crypto. They can just assume 10% scam ratio and rise price by that.

If scamming something like this is possible, the scammers have an incentive to scam as much as possible, so the "scam ratio" will tend to grow to 100% quite fast unless there's a huge amount of legitimate business.

If that would be true, then Ebay, Amazon, Etsy etc. would have no right to exist in the world.

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#55
Really awful idea. N00b users who buy this will fail to transfer the funds to their own wallets. The startup could retain the sold keys and steal the funds back -- Oh sorry n00b you got robbed, better luck next time. Fundamental rule of cryptocurrency that they do not teach is: "Generate your own private keys"

And they are probably acting as unlicensed money transmitters too, which will incur regulatory actions.

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#56
> It wasn’t until we actually had strangers paying us money that we designed the CBlock.

Weird world we live in.

No prototype, no feasibility study, just some "marketing guru" writing up copy and seeing how many fools easily part with their money.

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#57

Err.. aren't these guys going to run into regulatory problems? You need a license to sell this in the US. Not to mention selling crypto with credit cards is a great way to go broke unless you own the keys like Coinbase does. Also, why would you trust the keys they are sending you? Having someone else generate a wallet for you then sending it to you via a USB key sounds very very bad. I don't get this.

[deleted]

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#58
post #53

So, this startup is headquartered in Miami, FL, and is selling randomly amounts of random cryptocurrencies to people who pay a defined amount of real US currency. That is, it looks remarkably like a private, for-profit lottery. The operation of which, and even knowing assistance or promotion of which, is a third-degree felony under Florida state law. [0] [0] http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Disp…

Is it that different from if I sell you a Euro, a Yen, a Dollar, and a Pound? They are fungible items whose value fluctuates. How about if I sell you scrap gold jewelry on eBay? It's value will change before you get it and neither of us really knows how much gold is in it when the transaction takes place.

Have you ever seen a MSB offer Euros, Yen, or Dollars in random amounts as a product? Does not seem like the actions you list are similar at all to this situation.

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#59

Err.. aren't these guys going to run into regulatory problems? You need a license to sell this in the US. Not to mention selling crypto with credit cards is a great way to go broke unless you own the keys like Coinbase does. Also, why would you trust the keys they are sending you? Having someone else generate a wallet for you then sending it to you via a USB key sounds very very bad. I don't get this.

> Not to mention selling crypto with credit cards is a great way to go broke unless you own the keys like Coinbase does. I look forward to the "How I lost $32,000 selling crypto-USBs" after the fraud claims and chargebacks are filed.

[deleted]

Re: Generating $32,000 in 30 days selling a crypto-filled USB stick

#60

So, this startup is headquartered in Miami, FL, and is selling randomly amounts of random cryptocurrencies to people who pay a defined amount of real US currency. That is, it looks remarkably like a private, for-profit lottery. The operation of which, and even knowing assistance or promotion of which, is a third-degree felony under Florida state law. [0] [0] http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Disp…

Good news! Florida is a FOR profit prison system. So, I am sure all of this will be looked at with thorough detail before plea deals are rolled out /sarcasm

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-kiss-off-privat...

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