On August 13, 2025, California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) issued a desist and refrain order against Optimus VIP, prohibiting it from offering or selling securities in California without qualification under the Corporate Securities Law (CSL), per. The order cites Optimus VIP‘s sale of unqualified investment contracts via website solicitations since February 2025, relying on a global promoter network including California residents, per. No permit was issued, violating Corporations Code section 25110, and the DFPI mandates compliance to avoid further action under section 25532, per. X posts from @DFPI_CA emphasize consumer safeguards, per.
Optimus VIP, an MLM crypto Ponzi scheme reviewed in February 2025, was fronted by Brazilian national Antonio Salas, promising returns through a crypto investment model, per. The scheme collapsed in March 2025, rebranding as DigitalCredit with the same MLM structure, per. DigitalCredit failed shortly after, leading to a July 2025 reboot as DigitalBot, per. DigitalBot‘s website remains active, with 3,200 monthly visits in August 2025, 100% from the U.S., per. Investor losses across the schemes are unknown, but the DFPI’s order halts further sales, per.
The DFPI’s action mirrors recent crackdowns on Fintoch and Signix Fin Services, per. Optimus VIP‘s use of promoters and rebrands echoes tactics in Forsage ($340M losses) and GSPartners ($1B+ losses), per. The SEC‘s focus on MLM crypto under Paul Atkins may lead to federal involvement, per. Bitcoin (BTC) ($113,234) and Ethereum (ETH) ($4,070) remain stable, per CoinMarketCap, but the order reinforces risks in unregulated platforms, per. Investors should report fraud to DFPI at dfpi.ca.gov, per.
Verify investments via dfpi.ca.gov and avoid MLM schemes, per. Diversify into USDC or ETH with stop-losses below BTC’s $112,000, per TradingView. Follow @TheBlock__ on X for updates. DigitalBot‘s U.S. traffic suggests ongoing risks, but DFPI‘s enforcement could deter similar frauds, per. With the crypto bill nearing passage, clearer rules may reduce such schemes by 2026, per.
