If Patrick had only classified his investment thing as a managed hedge/mutual fund, with returns based on his investment skills as opposed to fixed interest "savings account" style returns, none of this would have been a problem. Losses would have had to be taken by the customers instead of Patrick, and his returns would have been consistent with the average hedge fund (lesson: don't invest in bitcoins, people. You'll save time by just flushing your money down the toilet).
the "average" hedge fund managed by a well-educated, certified professional typically grow at 3% per year.
If the average performance of any of the funds I invest in was that poor I'd have pulled my cash out long ago
It was an article I read for economics class years ago. Safe growth for a hedge fund is 3% per year (above inflation), but the article's subject was this wildcat manager growing at 5-6% because he was shorting poorly-managed stocks, which is like the Wall Street equivalent of check-raising in poker.
Patrick, I find it hilarious that you're talking smack about professional hedge fund managers while your various ponzi schemes and 'investments' collapse. The only index you're beating is the 'still posting, hasn't disappeared with the money yet' index. This isn't a 'wild west' economy, it's a cargo cult. Foreign capital funds are "high stakes", giving money to children in a sandbox pretending to be a stock exchange is just foolish.