GSB and GSPartners Continue Promising Refunds Outside the US
On April 15, 2026, Apertum held a DAO1 marketing webinar where new investment schemes and refund options for non-North American GSPartners investors were discussed.
Key Elements from the Webinar
The presentation can be summarized into four main components:
- Global Fund — tied to USDF, a new token created around March 16, 2026. Apertum has already minted over 200 million USDF. The fund is pitched as having $200 million+ in USDF to invest into Apertum and DAO1, but no specific investment products have been announced yet.
- Chrono Hash — a promised Bitcoin mining scheme that remains in the “coming soon” phase.
- GSB Reboot — a rebranding of GSPartners outside North America, recycling the old “investment backed by gold” narrative previously used in Karatbars, Auratus Gold, and earlier GSPartners iterations.
- GSPartners Refunds — non-North American investors were again promised refunds or the option to roll over their balances into DAO1 products.
How Refunds/Migration Are Being Presented
South African promoter Schalk Van Der Merwe explained the options during the webinar:
- Refund option: Investors can request the return of their original investment amount (money put in minus money already taken out). Returns generated within the platform are not being honored.
- Migration option: Balances (including the fictional “returns”) can be rolled into DAO1 products such as trading bots or the Global Fund.
Van Der Merwe stated that refund or migration options would begin “in the coming days” from April 15. As of April 19, there is still no verifiable evidence of any non-North American GSPartners investors actually receiving cash refunds.
“Leaders” (promoters with larger balances) are reportedly being asked to wait up to two months, while smaller “customers” may be processed first.
Ongoing Issues with GSB and AlixPartners
Meanwhile, AlixPartners (the firm handling North American GSPartners victim claims) sent an email on April 7, 2026, stating they are still waiting on information from GSB and that determination letters have been delayed.
This raises questions about whether information is being withheld while non-North American “refunds” or migrations are being quietly managed.
Broader Context
GSPartners, GSB, and related entities have faced multiple regulatory fraud warnings across jurisdictions. DAO1 and Apertum have received warnings from Latvia, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and Lithuania.
As of March 2026, DAO1’s website had around 22,000 monthly visits, down 45% month-on-month, with traffic mainly from Germany (41%), Dominican Republic (26%), South Africa (14%), UK (11%), and the U.S. (4%).
Investor Advice
Investors should treat promises of refunds or rollovers with extreme caution. Historical patterns with GSPartners, Meta Force, and related schemes show repeated rebrands and new ruses rather than actual repayments.
If you are a victim, document everything and consider contacting relevant regulators in your jurisdiction. Avoid sending more money or participating in new “migration” schemes.
Bitcoin (BTC) and broader crypto markets remain unaffected by this specific development, but such schemes continue to damage trust in the space.
