The $38 amount is probably misleading, as I did say I used freebie coins as my main stake.

Comm was like 2 BTC or so for free, if I recall correctly, which primarily is what I used. And Drk was the coin responsible for most of my earnings. Again, if I was better trader, I should be up at least double what I am now.

So it's really 2-3 BTC or so up to 15ish. But it didn't really cost me 2 BTC to begin with.

Several coins have done the free giveaway thing -- comm and itc come to mind. ITC used forum posts/activity plus rank as a basis to determine how much each person got.

You can use the forum for giveaways, by the way, but people must either PM you their address or put it in their signature. In the latter case, you need to set up a website or something for registering, and have whatever system you put in place grab the address from our signatures. Sharecoin went that route, as did a couple of others.

Kora (or ORA) is the one that most recently ran a giveaway. You may want to chat with them, as sockpuppets is what you need to watch out for. They used a couple of different methods to weed them out.

Bittrex is sure trying to run their ICO model into the ground, aren't they?

So soon after Iceberg bombed, and Architect couldn't even get off the ground, they start a new ICO.

Anyone else notice how few ICOs are run on Polo after they instituted their new rules, which include identification + holding funds until they are used? If an ICO dev is on the level, run it on Polo and use their rules.

How much do most here usually invest in alts?

When I started around 6 months ago, I figured this was way too iffy to invest any real money in. I made a mighty $38 investment just to see how to convert cash to btc. And then I relied on freebie coins for a stake.

I'm still a small fish, but $38 has turned into around 15 btc, so as a percentage it's not too bad. If I wasn't such a lousy trader it should be double that... still getting the hang of some things.

New exchanges seem to have difficulty catching on, and even if you have the funds to start one, how do you prevent scams exactly? If you offer a coin and a dev vanishes, how can an exchange stop this?

As for websites, coinssource which is in my sig, has a lot of data on coins, which could help people. But a specific site dedicated to scams may be of some use. The problem there is bias. Plenty of people here have made threads listing what they perceive as scam/shit coins. Quite often it boils down to -- scam/shitcoin that thread starter doesn't own = bad. If they own it = good. So if you go the website route, make sure whatever you list is a real scam or overly shady, not some iffy coin that may or may not be a scam.

If you want to start a coin to get people's attention in regard to scams, do the website, and offer a freebie coin given away to people who have been scammed ... ask for proof of ipo fraud/exchanges folding/icos that went bad due to devs vanishing, and that sort of thing. At the least, it may get some attention... tons of people have been scammed here one way or another.

For some reason I assumed it was more than 2 days... guess all the panicking made it seem like longer.

Since the dev said in his OP that the team would accumulate coins, it'd make sense for them to be quiet for a while. We'll see though. Usually when devs vanish they don't vanish quite this quickly after launch... makes little sense for them to. Even if scammy, they could milk the coin for much more by making a return.

Bizarre mindset. Why would a whale pump a coin with no active dev and no reason for people to buy into a pump? A pump won't work if there is nobody to buy the coins.

A simple post from the dev. That's all is needed. No pumps, no theories, no takeover stuff. A post.

So simple, you'd think the dev has to be accumulating, but stranger things have occurred in cryptoland before... so who knows. Price goes too low and if too much time passes, it'll be hard to raise it from the dead, regardless if the dev returns or not. Not there yet, but we'll find out eventually.

Fish farming is sort of evil, to begin with. You don't want to eat farmed fish.

I see you aren't the type to be fickle with your decisions.

Well, anyone saying they know a pump is coming, simply wants a self-fulfilling prophecy to come true.

That said, its so easy for the dev to make decent money by simply making a single forum post, it'd be sort of odd if he hasn't been accumulating and planning that very thing. A simple, sorry, death in family/illness/pc blew up/whatever post, and all is forgiven, coin shoots up 2-3x... money made.

Too risky for me, so would never tell anyone to buy in. Just observing what it appears like. Either that, or the dev is a kid and whatever he made so far is enough for him.

I only have a tiny amount of this remaining, so never kept track that closely to this thread, but how long has the dev been away? A couple of days?

Perhaps he did walk away, but I just find it amusing how people go crazy when a dev is silent at all. A couple of days really is nothing in any other form of software development. Here it's the end of the world. A dev can go away for a weekend and come back and see people attempting a takeover of his coin.

That could be it, and that would lend itself to the idea that Cryptsy is now going into Bittrex-mode somewhat, taking new coins rather than established ones, like they sort of did in the past. Adding Via + Apex so soon also makes sense in that context. Not sure if that is the best idea long term though. It may increase short term profits, but a couple of duds and  the status of the exchange could take a hit in people's eyes... rather than Cryptsy being the 'big leagues', they are just another exchange.

Possible. Then again, they added Via + Apex really quick too. I am guessing they simply are seeing Bittrex eat up their profits and plan to add coins faster now. Hence why MP probably got rid of that paid voting thing too. So I think it more likely they simply want to get that initial hype money off of new coins, rather than that crony hypothesis.

It also wouldn't be in their best interest to add shady coins, but who knows... I mean, Bittrex sort of killed the golden goose with so many ICOs run close to one another. I think Polo came to their senses after Mil, with their newer ICD rules.

I wouldn't say that. The simple fact is your ann reads like someone wanting to collect coin from other devs to get some seal of approval, by them handing over their identity to you. That reads scammy to most people.

Nevermind that the seal of approval is sort of meaningless, and they have no idea what you will do with their identity. Nor why any dev would feel safe listing their identity here to begin with. This forum has the largest collection of nuts I've run across ... money makes people do stupid things... I understand perfectly why a dev would be hesitant to give any personal info out at all here.

Again, if you have no plans to make money out of this, just start a website.

I already stated my ideas, but will repeat some of them:

If going with an exchange-run ICO, and especially at this price, go with Polo and their ICD rules. Ideally go with a lower price.

If planning to go with Bittrex, offer up a buy wall at the end of the ICO + don't be quite so greedy. 10-50BTC, not 100+. Price the coins cheap. And even then, I'm not sure if people will be so eager, due to being burned so many times already.

This is sort of an interesting one. The pattern doesn't make much sense unless the dev is buying up coins himself. It's basically equivalent to a pre-mine/instamine, but all he has to do is be silent. That pattern of course has occurred with other coins too, quite often right after a pump. It's advantageous to lower the price of a coin to buy back in cheap, and all he has to do is post something... anything... and it's like double profits.

It could alternatively be just a scam, coin pumps, dev cashes out, and walks away. But as stated many times here, it was hardly an optimal way to go in this case. The pattern didn't really fit.

So I would guess the former, but who knows really.

As for the multiple exchanges adding some validity to the coin by simply adding it so quickly ... we'd like to think that is the case, and should be the case, but we can't be 100% certain. Cryptsy also added Via + Apex, so maybe exchanges are seeing Bittrex eat up their profits and plan to add coins faster now. Only they can say.

Well, first question is... why would any devs trust you with their identity? And then you plan to charge them for this privilege? To be honest, it sounds like you are trying to scam the scammers... and honest coins too.

Although I agree there is way too much scamming and shady devs here, I honestly don't think this is the way to go. First off, there are way too many crazy people in this forum for any dev to feel safe providing their real identity. Sure, I'd prefer they did, but I understand why they'd be hesitant, even if honest. If any group was going to give a seal of approval type of thing, it'd probably need to be done by the exchanges. And for free.

Overall this reads very similar to that shitcoin killing group plan of charging devs to not be put on some shitcoin killing list.

Rather than this type of plan, I'd prefer to see education used. Someone start up a website detailing all the types of scams people run here, past examples of scams, and coins that you currently think are scams/shady. And detail why... no FUD, no guessing, simply outline the problems.

Glad you are doing the adopt a whale thing, as I suggested it in the original thread. Voted for baby Annie myself.

I'm not great at making memes and overall think they are sort of silly... but I do like pizza, so will give it a shot. Threw in some pizza too...

Yep, also possible. I didn't mean it to sound as if  had to even be planned by the devs. Whales could just be working with whatever they are being given and creating such situations.

And there is a risk of driving the price down too much, as you don't want to sort of destroy a coin.

Sort of an interesting pattern ...

Initially PoSA was given a firm date, then delayed, resulting in pump, assuming whales sold off, bought in cheaper.

Repeat process, release info indicating PoSA's imminent release, pump, sell-off, delay and buy in cheaper (although not quite as cheap as first time). Repeat as necessary.

Makes sense. I assumed they would be going with set deadlines, and do the Drk type of thing... buy on rumors, sell on news, etc, repeat for each milestone. But the above method works too. Perhaps they are timing it to line up with One Market, then a PoSA release several days to a week or so before would line up well with an extended pump.

Or perhaps I am just too skeptical. None of the above is a reason to sell (quite the opposite), so don't take this as fud or anything. Just an observation.