Many people admire Arsyan Ismail as a tech prodigy, a crypto investor, a multi-millionaire, and a brilliant programmer. News reports highlight the alleged USD 70 million sale of ai.com (RM 275 million). To some, he represents success.

But to thousands of victims around the world, his name is associated with pain, loss, and unanswered questions.

In 2015, bitkingdom.org was launched in Malaysia, promising investors an unbelievable 30% monthly return in Bitcoin—at a time when Bitcoin was worth only around MYR 800. Families trusted the system. Friends convinced friends. Ordinary people invested their savings, believing they were building a better future.

According to numerous victims, Bitkingdom operated as a Ponzi scheme—using new investors’ funds to pay earlier investors. When the platform reportedly accumulated around 150,000 Bitcoins (over RM 40 billion in today’s price), it suddenly collapsed.

Investors were then directed to a new platform, aureus.cc, and offered a replacement token called “Aureus,” allegedly backed by 20,000 Bitcoins. The remaining 130,000 Bitcoins were never clearly accounted for. Victims claim those funds disappeared into the pockets of the founder and programmer.

After the founder’s reported exit, the remaining 20,000 Bitcoins were allegedly managed by Arsyan Ismail and associates. Over time, around 6,500 more Bitcoins were said to have been deducted as “maintenance fees.” Later, when Bitcoin reached USD 10,000, investors were told that distributions were made with remaining 13,500 Bitcoins. Yet many claim they were unable to withdraw their funds before the platform shut down again in 2017.

Forked coins such as Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold—assets that later became extremely valuable—were allegedly claimed, but investors say they never received what they were entitled to.

Thousands of police reports were filed. But in 2017, cryptocurrency was still new and poorly understood. Victims believe this lack of regulatory clarity allowed those responsible to avoid accountability. Some networkers were charged, but many victims still ask the same painful question:

Where did the Bitcoins go?

Wallet addresses have been shared publicly by victims as part of their effort to trace the missing funds.

Behind every lost Bitcoin was a human story.

Retirees who lost their life savings.

Parents who invested their children’s education funds.

Friendships destroyed.

Families torn apart.

Some victims reportedly fell into depression. Some, tragically, are said to have lost their lives.

While Malaysia has grown stronger in regulating scams and financial crimes, victims continue to hope that modern investigative tools, blockchain forensics, and stronger enforcement agencies will finally bring clarity—and justice.

This is not just about cryptocurrency.

It is about accountability.

It is about transparency.

It is about thousands of lives that were changed forever.

Victims are not asking for revenge.

They are asking for answers and justice.

And they are still waiting.

Proof of ai.com was bought for reportedly 40 million in 2017 :

https://www.lowyat.net/2026/382822/malaysian-ai-com-usd70million-did-not-purchase-usd100-1993/

One of Arsyan Ismail’s wallet address where the victims’s bitcoins went into :

https://blockchain.info/address/1ArsyanRMyJWNo2FndN9BY8yLi2F6H9Jk9