The 5 weirdest crypto tales of 2021

In 2021, the market cap of cryptocurrencies skyrocketed 286% yr over yr, uplifting a $2.17 trillion trade into the stratosphere. But, with this huge creation of wealth comes the explosion of weird tales all through the sector. From the suspicious loss of life of a number of crypto-evangelists and crypto scams involving hacked Twitter accounts of heads of states to much-promoted superstar NFT drops that bombed on the public sale, 2021 was actually a wild yr for the cryptocurrency our on-line world. Without additional ado, let’s have a look at the highest strangest tales which have captivated blockchain fanatics this yr.

No 1. The loss of life of John McAfee

On June 23, John McAfee, crypto-evangelist and namesake founding father of antivirus software program firm McAfee, was discovered useless in a Spanish jail cell in an obvious suicide by hanging. The United States, one of many few nations that impose a taxation-by-citizenship regime — that’s, Americans are taxed on their worldwide revenue annually no matter their nation of residence — had been looking for McAfee’s extradition for failing to file his revenue tax returns from 2014 to 2018 and allegedly not reporting revenue for his crypto tasks. McAfee was arrested in Spain pending U.S. tax evasion costs. Back in 2018, McAfee was allegedly charging as a lot as $105,000 per Tweet to advertise preliminary coin choices (ICOs) on social media.

In one other Tweet two years prior, McAfee acknowledged: “If I suicide myself, I didn’t. I was whacked,” resulting in conspiracy theories that the businessman’s loss of life could have resulted from an orchestrated assault. McAfee is remembered for his pioneering ventures in programming, early adoption of Bitcoin (BTC) and his eccentric character. He famously mentioned that he would “eat [his own] dick on national television” if the worth of BTC didn’t attain $500,000 by 2020. In November, McAfee’s authentic software program improvement firm was acquired by non-public traders for $14 billion. McAfee is survived by his widow Janice McAfee and his kids (of which McAfee claimed to have at the least 47).

Today would have been John’s 76th birthday. As we proceed to attend for information from the courts I wished to share a few of my favorite recollections of John. To honor John please share any photographs you’ll have taken of or with him utilizing #JohnMcAfeeDidNotKillHimself & #JusticeForJohnMcAfee. pic.twitter.com/5iEQCTi7zx

— Janice McAfee (@theemrsmcafee) September 18, 2021

No 2. India‘s prime minister seems to tweet out a BTC rip-off

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi‘s Twitter account was hacked once more in December, with scammers claiming that India had adopted BTC as nationwide tender, and 500 BTC can be found for quick distribution to Indian nationals who join through a phishing hyperlink. The tweet was briefly viewable to the general public and Modi‘s 73.4 million followers earlier than it was taken down. The yr prior, a cybercrime group referred to as “John Wick” hacked the prime minister‘s Twitter account and posted messages asking his followers to make crypto donations.

Several hypotheses exist as to why Modi turned a goal of those Bitcoin rip-off hacks. One potential motive was revenge for the continuing Bitcoin scandal in India‘s Karnataka state. According to Indian media retailers, Karnataka police and governmental officers allegedly obtained 12,900 BTC in bribes from hacker Srikrishna Ramesh, who was arrested for hacking three crypto exchanges and different web sites within the earlier years. When Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai requested in regards to the concern in a gathering with Modi in November, the prime minister allegedly disregarded the problem. India at the moment faces a chaotic regulatory surroundings concerning the state of crypto affairs within the nation.

Narendra Modi’s deleted Bitcoin Tweet | Source: India Today / Twitter

No 3. ConstitutionDAO‘s “Uno Reverse”

Back in November, a gaggle of retail traders shaped a decentralized autonomous group, or DAO, aspiring to pool cash to buy the final privately-owned first-edition print copy of the United States Constitution at a public public sale hosted by Sotheby‘s. Constitution DAO raised $49 million through Ether (ETH) donations from 17,437 contributors. On the day of the public sale, nevertheless, the piece of the structure was outbid by Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel, whose agency owned hedge funds that shorted Gamestop shares to the discontent of many retail traders selling the inventory.

The ConstitutionDAO disbanded shortly afterward and issued refunds to its stakeholders. While it could be that the “proletariat” traders don’t have anything to lose however their chains, it‘s clear that the “bourgeois” gained‘t enable them to be unshackled so simply.

hello frens,

we simply despatched out the ultimate batch of refunds for individuals who contributed on to juicebox after the public sale. if you happen to contributed post-auction and earlier than our beforehand messaged cutoff date of 12/6, it’s best to have obtained your refund by now.https://t.co/g7u2ENSoYE

— ConstitutionDAO (, ) (@ConstitutionDAO) December 11, 2021

No 4. Elon, Tesla and Bitcoin

Cryptocurrencies have been on a wild curler coaster trip this yr, probably partially to Tesla‘s CEO Elon Musk. Promoting digital meme currencies resembling Dogecoin (DOGE) and apart, Musk‘s indecisive strategy when it got here to Tesla‘s Bitcoin adoption created and worn out many fortunes.

In March, Musk despatched traders right into a shopping for frenzy after asserting that Tesla would settle for BTC as cost for customers to buy its electrical automobiles. Two months later, the momentum reversed and became a full-on market rout after Musk dropped the plans, citing environmental considerations with community mining. Then in October, Tesla mentioned it might rethink including BTC as a technique of cost. Through all this, nevertheless, Musk turned extra standard as a helmsman, main retail traders and crypto fanatics alike by means of the storms of capital markets. He was not too long ago elected Person of the Year by Times Magazine.

Tesla & Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/YSswJmVZhP

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 12, 2021

No 5. The unsold NFTs of Tupac Shakur

For 29 years, former hip-hop journalist Lawrence “Loupy D” Dotson held on to a collection of pictures of famed-rapper Tupac Shakur. The photographs have been taken on the rapper‘s “2Pacalypse Now” debut album release party in 1992 and were announced for public auction in the form of nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, in November of this year. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Loupy D stated: “I also considered photo exhibits, museums, all kinds of ways. With NFTs, it’s not simply in regards to the asset itself however the story behind the asset. I knew I wanted to get my story on the market within the public eye.”

The OpenSea public sale had notable press protection beforehand, together with from RollingStone and Fortune.com. For per week, the public sale continued. However, not a single piece was offered out of the 18 Tupac picture NFTs. In his disappointment, Loupy D took them off the platform and opened them up for personal inquiries. But, to be truthful, the photographer could have been asking an excessive amount of, as every NFT piece had a minimal bid of 25 ETH ($100,000). Earlier this yr, one other artist requested 200 ETH ($1 million on the time) for a photograph of Tupac Shakur taken 14 days earlier than his loss of life in a drive-by capturing. That NFT has not offered regardless of the worth dropping right down to 10 ETH. Simply asking an excessive amount of or has Tupac‘s reputation light? You be the decide. 

Well, the #tupac #nfts did not promote at public sale on #opensea, however as they are saying, #tmc Click hyperlink in bio for extra info. https://t.co/QvPaMbDawQ pic.twitter.com/p8mc2MRSlc

— Loupy D (@loupyd) November 30, 2021