🧐 [Analysis] TalkGold — The Ponzi forum where Quadriga’s Patryn and Cotten first met - Amy Castor

Since the collapse of crypto exchange Quadriga, co-founders Gerald Cotten and Michael Patryn have come under severe scrutiny. Reddit users dug through the pairs internet history in what Amy Castor believes is another compelling case that Quadriga was more Ponzi scheme than crypto exchange. The advent of digital currencies brought on a wave of high yield investment programs (HIYPs) which often could be found on sites like TalkGold and MoneyMakerGroup. Cotten and Patryn were active members on TalkGold since 2003 and worked with each other on projects like Cotten's MidasGold, S&S Investments, and Lucky Invest. The latter two were HIYPs with huge reach in underground investments circles, but both collapsed with empty promises of "refunds." After MidasGold was shut down by Federal investigation in 2013 Cotten, allegedly operating under the pseudonym Murdoch1337, posted a job ad for constructing of a Bitstamp-esque crypto exchange on nefarious business site BlackHatWorld. While it's unknown if Cotten ultimately hired from BlackHatWorld, the exchange was up within three months after the posting. A history of shady business dealings, to Castor, harldy puts the Quadriga co-founders in good light.