Public-interest investigation
Gurhan Kiziloz, a masterentrepreneur
— as alleged across regulators, investigators, and former employees
A public-interest record of regulatory warnings, court filings, on-chain analysis, and investor testimony.
Audio briefingsRecordings
Audio briefings on BlockDAG
Investigative recordings, leaked calls, and analysis covering the BlockDAG presale, its hidden founder, and the wider Kiziloz portfolio. Listen on the BlockDAG page.
- 01BlockDAG Leaks — Overview
- 02Part 1 — The BlockDAG Project: A Massive FraudComing soon
- 03Part 2 — BlockDAG: The Lies, Fraud, and DeceptionComing soon
- 04Part 3 — BlockDAG: How Not to Run a PresaleComing soon
- 05Part 4 — The Lawyer Who Enabled the BlockDAG ScamComing soon
- 06Part 5 — How Gurhan Kiziloz Faked the BlockDAG TransitionComing soon
- 07Gurhan Kiziloz and the BlockDAG Gambling ScandalComing soon
- 08Leaked BlockDAG Audio: Total Executive IncompetenceComing soon
- 09BlockDAG Financial Analysis & ReviewComing soon
Background
Who is Gurhan Kiziloz?
Gurhan Kiziloz is a 38-year-old British-Turkish entrepreneur. He founded the UK fintech Lanistar in 2019, which received a Financial Conduct Authority warning in 2020, faced multiple winding-up petitions, and was ordered into liquidation by the High Court in September 2025.
He pivoted to online gambling, building Megaposta (a Brazilian sportsbook) and Spartans.com (a crypto casino) under his holding company Nexus International, which sponsored content claims is generating over $1 billion in annual revenue.
In October 2025, on-chain investigator ZachXBT publicly identified Kiziloz as the previously concealed founder of BlockDAG, a Layer-1 blockchain project that has run a presale for over two years and claims to have raised $442 million. The Seychelles Financial Services Authority issued a formal warning against BlockDAG in March 2025.
Former employees of Lanistar and its associated marketing agency WPRO have alleged on Glassdoor and elsewhere that they were directed to write articles promoting cryptocurrency tokens — including Big Eyes Coin, Dogetti, and Poorcoin — that subsequently lost most or all of their value.
This site collects what is publicly known.
BlockDAG's claimed presale raise. The CEO told DL News the real figure is closer to $200M.
Length of the BlockDAG "presale," with repeated "final chance" deadlines that came and went.
UK FCA (Lanistar, 2020), UK Advertising Standards Authority (Lanistar, 2021), Seychelles FSA (BlockDAG, 2025).
Allegation in focus
The missing $35 million — and a million-dollar wedding
On-chain investigator ZachXBT alleges that roughly $35 million in BlockDAG presale funds — money sent in by retail investors expecting tokens and mining hardware — was siphoned out through Middle Eastern OTC desks and routed to wallets controlled by Gurhan Kiziloz, rather than being held for the project or its promised deliverables.
Investors profiled by DL News describe paid-for X-Series miners that never arrived, tokens that never materialised, and contractors who went unpaid. The project's own CEO conceded to DL News that the public "$442 million raised" figure was closer to $200 million — a gap regulators and investors are still trying to account for.
While that money was allegedly going missing, Kiziloz married Lebanese influencer Youmna "Youmi" Khoury in August 2025 in a multi-day celebration on the shores of Lake Como. Regional press placed the total cost above $1 million, with a ~$220,000 villa rental and a reported six-figure performance fee for Lebanese pop star Haifa Wehbe. Coverage in Harper's Bazaar Arabia and Abu Dhabi Week described the ceremony as one of the most extravagant of the year.
Kiziloz has not publicly explained how a presale he was concealing his involvement in funded the lifestyle on display — private jets, designer wardrobes, Dubai gala appearances — while BlockDAG investors continued to wait for miners and tokens.
The allegation is not that the wedding was lavish. The allegation is that retail investors paid for it.
Start here
Where to look first
The BlockDAG Failure
$400M+ presale, hidden founder, regulator warnings, missing miners.
Other Failed Ventures
Lanistar, Big Eyes Coin, Dogetti, and the WPRO marketing playbook.
Patterns & Playbook
The recurring tactics across every venture — pivots, presales, suppression.
Full Source List
75+ articles, regulator filings, and on-chain investigations.