MIT Technology Review · 10 Sep, 13:43 · Technology briefing

God told them to sell crypto. Their investors lost everything.

A recent report details a cryptocurrency venture where founders claimed divine instruction to guide their sales strategy.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

A recent report details a cryptocurrency venture where founders claimed divine instruction to guide their sales strategy. This approach resulted in catastrophic financial losses for investors, who lost their entire capital. The incident highlights the severe risks associated with unregulated digital asset markets and leadership lacking conventional business ethics or regulatory compliance. For professionals, it underscores the critical importance of due diligence, transparent governance, and ethical decision-making in high-stakes financial environments, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of prioritising ideological or religious narratives over standard fiduciary responsibilities and market realities.

Employer demand for Compliance And Governance skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This scandal reinforces the urgent need for robust governance and ethical oversight in your career trajectory. Professionals in finance, legal compliance, and corporate strategy must prioritise skills in risk assessment and regulatory adherence. You should focus on strengthening your ability to evaluate leadership credibility and organisational integrity, as investors and clients increasingly demand accountability. Develop expertise in compliance frameworks and ethical decision-making to protect your reputation and your firm’s assets. Ignore ventures that lack transparent operational structures. Instead, position yourself as a guardian of best practices, ensuring that every strategic move aligns with legal standards and fiduciary duties. This proactive approach not only mitigates personal liability but also enhances your value as a trusted advisor in an era of heightened scrutiny.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Compliance And Governance, Risk Management Strategies, Finance and Accounting and Leadership — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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