I have been advised to just make a post in here and see where the discussion goes before escalating the situation or even attempting to have this thread taken down (which I certainly wouldn't want).

This is the last post I'm going to make here personally until everything clears up/improves... but for those of you who are understandably/legitimately panicked and not just going full Grassy Knoll here... I felt it was important to brief you on the situation. A small piece of the original dev team, all of the code that has been written, and a shred of 888 passion among us still exists. Most (if not all) of the original dev team would certainly get involved again if the situation improved considerably. Like most people, I have several other priorities right now but I will personally be putting the finishing touches on the new wallet as soon as possible and then ensuring that 888 it at least back and trading on Bittrex. Several developers, including myself and the developer of another (fairly prominent) altcoin, have gone through the code and there is nothing there that could specifically cause issues with OctoCoin payouts. Regardless, some issue apparently popped up exclusive to Bittrex (after months without incident despite the same code being used) and, as a result, the new wallet will be 100% from scratch.

Once a new wallet is released and things are stabilized, hopefully things will begin moving in the right direction again. Nobody pulled the plug on this project - the wind was taken out of altcoin sails, the people with the checkbooks became less interested, the community grew impatient and demanding while only a select few did anything to contribute, and people had lives they needed to get back to. Unfortunately, businesses fail. Fortunately, worst-case scenario we can open source everything that has been done and through a community effort build something good in the crypto-world (even if that would make it no longer exclusive to OctoCoin... surely it would increase exposure considerably and help it to stand out from the wasteland of failed altcoins and crap).

Being a crypto developer is a thankless nightmare - I received death threats when Bill Murray didn't officially endorse Murraycoin (a promise I never even made - I was 100% transparent the entire time) - it's truly a bummer. People want to get rich quick and very few people are willing to put any effort into it. I was lucky enough to get Brian on board with Murraycoin because he is kicking ass and taking names getting the word out and putting an amazing level of effort into pushing it to the next level. Honestly, just creating awareness is half the battle. Every time I decide to get involved in a crypto project to bail everybody out I regret it. Things take time and talented people are in-demand and busy. There isn't a lot of money in this market right now - I'm staying minimally involved with bitcoin, Murraycoin, and 888 - and while I fully intend to increase my involvement in the near future, I simply have other priorities at this moment.

People wonder why I don't post or don't respond to PMs - I get dozens and dozens of private messages every week and, frankly, most people suck. Everything has been hammered across the altcoin board and this is a volatile, hostile environment that I personally grew tired of being involved with. This is not a lucrative position to be in. The original OctoCoin dev team still holds all of the premine/etc. I have over 2,000,000 OctoCoins personally - there is financial incentive to move this thing forward, of course, but from the minute I was officially contracted to assist with this project I have suggested we distance ourselves from this place (bitcointalk) as much as possible. There are some great people here and I've had some great conversations with many of them over my time here but, for the most part, it's a bunch of greedy kids with bad attitudes and it's certainly no place to grow roots for a business. Most of you have no idea how a business works - let alone attempting work/life balance - I have a family, friends, a very demanding job, and I got into crypto-currency because it was a fun hobby! Yes I was hoping to make a profit - who wouldn't? As soon as it stopped being fun, I started losing motivation. Very few good developers hang around long in this world because everybody wants instant gratification - they will tear everything down if it isn't built fast enough for them. They see dollar signs and those dollar signs quickly turn into blind rage - it's insane. I will have no part of it. I'm obviously sticking with the projects I have committed to but they will progress at my pace and information will be broadcast 1-way in a new venue. You guys can sit in here tearing yourselves apart if you think that is the best way to get things back on track but I refuse to get involved. When I saw the direction things were going, I shook my head and got back to my life. Like I said, when I can put together an organized timeline and make an official statement on things I'm happy to do it but I've worked my ass off for you guys in so many ways you'll never understand and I've lost thousands of dollars in the process.

So the show goes on... and I will continue to help move things forward behind-the-scenes... but on my own terms. Keep in mind, Murraycoin has been my project from the start and OctoCoin simply became something I got involved (or over my head?) in so Murraycoin takes priority. I'm not bailing this thing out on my own - we have real developers involved but we need some decent people to supplement things because this cannot be a full-time job for any of us (and it's looking like it never will be). The only winners in this market right now are the ones who create scams and hide behind false identities. I never once hid who I was because I am an honest person with good intentions. I don't regret getting involved in this project but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me sad to see how this is unfolding. I'm not going to lie - my primary motivation was to protect my investment - but I honestly do care about ensuring the integrity of OctoCoin as much as possible while also protecting the investments of people in this with me.

As for the people harassing my elderly parents who called me yesterday, a police report has been filed. Obviously there isn't a lot that can be done if calls are coming from outside the US but every single incident will be reported to the authorities (I can't believe this is happening - it's beyond pathetic). Over the following few weeks, I will reach out to a number of you to get you inside the inner-circle and involved in our Slack discussions. There is a lot of positive stuff happening despite what's going on over here because we have literally been ignoring it once it degraded into 5th grade recess. If you don't hear from me within 3 weeks and feel you were unfairly overlooked, shoot me a PM and I will review your history. Perhaps we can appoint some people to be the messengers/etc but I'm done with this forum. I work 18 hours/day and sleep 3 hours/night - I've been on this planet for 31 years and the only death threats I have ever received have been from crypto-currency people. Maybe someday I'll finally learn how foolish it is to offer my help when it's needed. Maybe someday I'll learn that nothing that involves strangers on the Internet is ever going to be a fun hobby. Regardless, this entire situation is bullshit. An adult venue is required with constructive input and people willing to do their part if we're going to get this thing on track. We need people who understand marketing, allure, possess common sense, and are willing to put in at least some effort. You guys are like one giant wrecking ball.

To summarize: we'll get there... but I'm done with this forum.