HyperFund promoter pleads guilty in $1.8B crypto fraud case

**Bitcoin promoter pleads guilty in $1.8B HyperFund fraud**

Rodney Burton, known online as “Bitcoin Rodney,” has admitted guilt in a conspiracy tied to the HyperFund crypto scheme, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

HyperFund is described by U.S. authorities as a $1.8 billion investment fraud that promised returns from crypto mining and trading. Burton pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business linked to it.

The DOJ says promoters were critical to HyperFund’s growth, connecting the scheme to retail investors through trust and recruitment pitches. Burton’s online persona added a crypto-culture flare, but prosecutors focus on his role in moving funds and expanding the network.

Officials note guilty pleas speed investigations, helping trace how money flowed and who was involved. The Burton plea is part of a wider crackdown on high-return crypto programs that were allegedly Ponzi-style structures disguised with digital currency terms.

HyperFund remains one of the biggest U.S. enforcement cases in crypto, with prosecutors continuing to target both founders and public-facing promoters.