I'm not saying HEX is a ponzi, because I simply never heard of this coin. But Bitconnect has been "good" for many people while it kept working and paying... until it didn't.

That's the worst kind of argument you can use when talking about your favorite coin/project being a ponzi or not. All ponzis work for some time until they rip people's gains instantly. You either pull out your money before this happens or you lose everything.