On January 21, 2026, Lyvli, the latest iteration of the Northestar MLM venture launched in 2021, announced the closure of its affiliate program, transitioning to a U.S.-only direct-to-consumer model, per reports. Originally started by Ricky Villanueva and Demitrius Siruno, former promoters of the Digital Profit scheme, Northestar collapsed in early 2025, rebooting as Northe AI before becoming Lyvli mid-2025. The shift dropped AI gimmicks but retained nutritional supplements, including a powdered clay mask still branded “Northe,” per. Lyvli’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram were disabled, signaling a full retreat from MLM operations.
Ricky Villanueva cited industry burnout and lack of excitement in a January 28 statement, noting tens of millions in sales and commissions over five years but acknowledging high failure rates, per. He committed to five more years in MLM before exploring new ventures, joining an undisclosed company, per. Demitrius Siruno returned to B-Epic, promoting its GLP-1 weight loss push, a callback to their pre-Northestar days, per. This exodus highlights broader MLM challenges, with 99% of long-term participants failing to achieve financial freedom, according to Villanueva’s admission.
Lyvli investors face uncertainty, with no mention of commission refunds or asset transitions. The MLM model’s reliance on recruitment over product sales often leads to collapses, as seen in GSPartners ($1B+ losses) and Forsage ($340M), per. Lyvli’s low traffic under 3,000 monthly visits, mostly from Belarus, the U.S., and Germany, reflects waning interest, per SimilarWeb. Regulatory scrutiny, like Texas’s GSPartners case and BaFin’s Cryptex warnings, underscores risks in unregulated MLM crypto schemes.
Lyvli’s faceless direct-to-consumer pivot may sustain product sales but abandons affiliates, per. Investors should avoid similar MLM reboots and verify opportunities via sec.gov or fmc.gov.pk. Bitcoin (BTC) ($113,234) and Ethereum (ETH) ($4,070) offer alternatives, with stop-losses below $112,000 and $4,000, per TradingView. Diversify into USDC for stability. Follow @TheBlock__ on X for updates. Lyvli’s collapse, amid MLM burnout and regulatory pressure, signals caution for 2026’s crypto and direct sales markets.
