DAO1 & Apertum (APTM): Raising Green Flags…. And Major Red Ones
Deep Dive into the Crypto Project
Summary: DAO1 and Apertum promise passive income, cutting-edge blockchain technology, and community-driven wealth. But beneath the surface lies a troubling pattern of regulatory warnings, anonymous leadership, and ties to a prior Ponzi scheme. This is a non-biased breakdown of the opportunities and the dangers.
A few months ago, I got a message from a girl I hadn’t spoken to in years. It started friendly enough, some small talk, a compliment, a check-in on how life was going. But before long, the real reason emerged: she wanted to tell me about a life-changing opportunity.
Well, she said it had changed her life. She said I needed to watch the Zoom recording right away. It was time-limited, of course. By the time I finally had the space to sit down and watch it, the link had already expired. She sent another. That one vanished too. Every message felt more urgent, more rehearsed.
That’s when I started asking questions.
🧩 What is DAO1 and Apertum?
DAO1 is a new DeFi project built on the Apertum blockchain, a high-speed Layer 1 network launched in early 2025 as an Avalanche subnet. Together, they promise:
- Lightning-fast transactions (0.15–1.5 sec)
- Deflationary tokenomics with up to 50% fee burns
- “AI-powered” trading and “token mining” bots
- Passive income through tiered memberships
DAO1 markets itself as the public face and entry point to the Apertum ecosystem. Users are encouraged to buy packages ($50–$10,000+) to access AI trading bots and virtual mining rewards framed as a path to “life-changing wealth.”
🌱 Green Flags: What Makes This Project Look Legit
Despite concerns (which we’ll get to), DAO1 and Apertum show a few signs of potential legitimacy:
✅ A Real Blockchain on Avalanche
Unlike many scams that only have a token, Apertum is a working EVM-compatible subnet on Avalanche. Its explorer, transaction history, and smart contracts are publicly visible.
✅ Exchange Listings
The APTM token has been listed on platforms like MEXC, BitMart, and LBank, offering some accessibility and price discovery.
✅ High Claimed Growth
DAO1 reports over 50,000 users, 1.5M+ transactions, and 500+ smart contracts deployed in under a year. If accurate, this suggests momentum.
✅ Public Whitepaper and Tokenomics
The whitepaper outlines a capped 2.1B token supply with burn mechanisms, staking, and governance claims.
✅ Built-In Community Tools
DAO1 has built (or plans to build) a DEX, cross-chain bridge, NFT integrations, and a game (“Battue”) positioning itself as a multifunctional ecosystem.
🟡 Yellow Flags: Things That Raise Eyebrows
This is where the glow dims a bit.
⚠️ Anonymous Leadership
There’s no official disclosure of who runs DAO1. No team bios. No location. No verifiable company registration.
⚠️ Hidden Website
The DAO1 site is deliberately hidden from search engines. You won’t find it on Google unless someone sends you the direct link.
⚠️ Unrealistic Income Claims
Marketing webinars and PDFs claim thousands of percent ROI, or that you can earn passively just by holding APTM or using bots. The NZ Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has flagged these claims as unsubstantiated.
⚠️ MLM Compensation Plan
DAO1’s structure incentivises aggressive recruitment:
- 12 commission levels
- Ranks from Starter to “Royal Crown Ambassador”
- Up to 20% commission on referrals
This starts to feel more like a network marketing scheme than a crypto project.
🔴 Red Flags: The Serious Stuff
Unfortunately, DAO1 and Apertum don’t just raise concerns they wave giant red flags.
🚨 Run by Known Scammers
The same team behind GSPartners/GSB, a notorious multi-million dollar crypto Ponzi, is behind DAO1:
- Josip Heit (GSPartners founder)
- Dirc Zahlmann (convicted fraudster)
- Bruce Hughes (convicted fraudster)
Texas regulators confirmed this in a March 2025 emergency cease-and-desist.
🚨 Banned in Multiple Countries
- Australia (ASIC): Warned the public DAO1 is unlicensed
- New Zealand (FMA): Issued official scam warnings
- Texas (TSSB): Declared DAO1 and Apertum an illegal securities scheme
🚨 Fake “Mining” Bots
DAO1 claims you can mine APTM tokens. But blockchain analysis shows only one wallet controlled by the DAO1 team is mining all tokens. In other words: your “bot” isn’t mining anything. You’re being fed tokens from a central stash.
🚨 Centralized Control
Investigators showed DAO1 can burn your tokens remotely, proving the network isn’t decentralized. That’s a major violation of crypto’s core principle.
🚨 Classic Ponzi Structure
DAO1 fits every major marker of a Ponzi:
- High guaranteed returns
- Referral-based rewards
- No verified trading performance
- Reliance on constant new signups
- Token distribution not tied to real economic output
🚨 Fake Partnerships
DAO1 promoters have falsely claimed upcoming partnerships with games like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty, and even that Apple would feature their game. There’s no evidence any of this is true.
🧠 This Isn’t New We’ve Seen This Before
DAO1 looks a lot like past Ponzi-style projects:
Scheme
What Happened
GSPartners
Collapsed in scandal; rebranded as DAO1
OneCoin
$4B Ponzi; leaders arrested or vanished
BitConnect
Shut down by US regulators; massive losses
PlatinCoin
MLM crypto scam flagged in EU & Russia
D.AI.SY
AI-trading MLM under regulatory review
Each followed a similar pattern: early excitement, unrealistic promises, aggressive recruitment, eventual crash.
🧾 Final Verdict: High Tech, High Risk
DAO1 and Apertum talk the talk of innovation:
✅ Blockchain.
✅ DAOs.
✅ AI.
✅ Decentralization.
But behind the tech jargon lies an MLM investment scheme run by convicted fraudsters, flagged across multiple countries. The green flags don’t cancel out the glaring red ones.
If you’re considering involvement, ask yourself:
- Why is the team anonymous?
- Why is the website hidden?
- Why are regulators from three countries calling it a scam?
- Why do only they control the mining?
And perhaps most importantly:
If they truly had a passive-income-generating AI bot… why would they need to sell it to you?
📚 Sources & References
- New Zealand FMA Warning
- ASIC Investor Alert List
- Texas Securities Board Cease & Desist
- BehindMLM DAO1 Analysis
- CoinMarketCap — APTM Token
- Trustpilot DAO1 User Reviews
👀 TL;DR
DAO1 is not a DeFi revolution. It’s a rebranded fraud operation.
Stay curious, but stay critical. Not every shiny new DAO is decentralised. Not every promise of passive income is safe. And not every scam looks like one until it’s too late.
