Business

5 DeFi Projects That Seemed Promising But Went Under …

Published

3 years ago

October 27, 2022

With over 20,000 cryptocurrencies existing in the world today, there are countless projects out there that don’t survive long-term. These crypto projects are commonly referred to as “dead coins,” which simply refers to coins that no longer have any momentum.

The reason is not necessarily what the media likes to focus on : rug pull, exit scam etc.

Reality is more complex and here are a few reasons why a project dies, but the most common are:

Not enough funds – there have been crypto projects out there that seemed promising and were created with all the right intentions, but they ended up not being able to raise the capital needed to follow through. In fact, most projects have this problem. Investors take note of the profit margins to see if they’re up to par. If not, they look right over these projects.
Community Disengagement – with so many projects emerging in DeFi, it can be difficult to get the interest of enough people to reach escape velocity. Once a project has it, it has to keep it through the storm of other shiny objects competing for its investors’ attention. Sometimes the community gradually slips away, enticed by the promises of the next great thing.
Low trading volumes – If a project ends up with less than $1,000 in trading volume for three straight months, it’s considered a dead coin. Low trading volumes generally mean that a project falls short of providing utility and/or interest from traders. It’s a sure-fire path to the dead coin vault.

Let’s look at a few of the top projects that seemed promising in the beginning but ultimately fell apart for one reason or another.

1. NanoHealthcare Token (NHCT)

The NanoHealthcare Token was created in India in an effort to reform the country’s healthcare system through the blockchain. The NHCT creators hoped to improve flaws in the system, reduce high costs and improve data security practices.

NHCT aimed to take a holistic approach to healthcare and improve it through the concept of “total health.” This involved them focusing on four major parameters – mental, physical, fitness and a well-balanced diet.

The coin experienced some hype but ultimately failed due to lack of investor interest. In turn, its developers abandoned the project.

2. Paycoin (PCI)

Paycoin was among the first crypto projects out there. Launched in 2014 by respectable miners Josh Garza and GAW, Paycoin was intended to improve the Bitcoin network. The founders were well versed in the DeFi world. Paycoin saw massive growth in the beginning. With a market capitalization of $115 million in 48 hours, it quickly gained popularity.

Ultimately, the project fell apart due to a lack of security that stemmed from rushing production efforts. The founders were unable to fulfill many of their promises, which led to the downward spiral of Paycoin.

3. SpaceBIT

SpaceBIT was on a mission to be known for its uniqueness. The project involved launching nanosatellites into space that made electronic currencies accessible everywhere. The SpaceBIT team hyped up the world and made it seem as if they had all the materials needed for the successful completion of the project. Ultimately, though, they never followed through. Lack of infrastructure was the primary factor that caused SpaceBIT to fall out of the sky.

4. Ring Financial

Ring Financial aimed to aggregate DeFi protocols, and it was intended to live on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to keep fees low for users. The project began with a 5.56% return per day offered in tokens. From November 4, 2021, to November 23, 2021, the project saw promising growth; it went from $1 to $250 in the short timeframe.

Then came the first strike in December. After the project was verified on BSCScan, it became more visible than ever. This left it more vulnerable to hackers, which is what led to Ring’s contract being exploited in December of 2021. The project survived this hit but faced harsh scrutiny from investors. Ultimately, people began losing confidence in the project despite the teams’ efforts to save it. The project did not recover after this.

5. GetGems (GEMZ)

GetGems was launched in 2015 following a similar-named project (that ultimately failed) named Gems. The founder was Daniel Peled, and his vision was to change the social media world as we know it.

GetGems was created as a social messaging app that allowed users to send and receive bitcoin. The project managed to raise $1 million initially through crowdfunding efforts along with direct investments.

The project ultimately failed after it did not follow through on promises to change the social media landscape.

Do you have a dead coin in your portfolio?

With the dawn of the crypto winter, it’s a possibility that you could have a dead coin floating around in your portfolio. Fortunately, there are some things to look out for when determining if a coin is legitimate or not.

First, put a mental red flag up if you see a coin that guarantees a return on investment. Avoid these at all costs. Also, coins that are worth investing in will generally be listed on a trusted trading platform, such as Binance or Coinbase.

Always remember to stay informed and make diligent decisions about your investments.

Business

Inside the $4.3B Quarter: What’s Fueling Black Banx’s Record Revenues

Published

1 week ago

January 16, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Every quarter brings fresh headlines in fintech, but few make the kind of impact achieved by Black Banx in Q2 2025. The Toronto-based global digital banking group, founded by Michael Gastauer, reported an extraordinary USD 4.3 billion in revenue and a record USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, while improving its cost-to-income ratio to 63%.

These results not only highlight the company’s operational efficiency but also mark a pivotal moment in its journey from challenger to global leader. The big question is: what’s fueling such impressive financial performance?

Customer Growth as the Core Driver

One of the clearest engines of revenue growth is Black Banx’s expanding customer base. By Q2 2025, the platform had reached 84 million clients worldwide, up from 69 million at the end of 2024. This 15 million net gain in six months demonstrates both the attractiveness of its services and the scalability of its model.

Unlike traditional banks, which rely heavily on branch expansion, Black Banx leverages digital-first onboarding that allows customers to open accounts within minutes using just a smartphone. This approach is especially effective in regions underserved by legacy institutions, where access to affordable financial tools is in high demand.

More customers don’t just mean higher transaction volumes—they generate a compounding effect where network size, brand trust, and service adoption reinforce one another.

Real-Time Payments and Cross-Border Solutions

A major contributor to Q2 revenues is the platform’s real-time payments infrastructure. Black Banx enables instant cross-border transfers across its 28 supported fiat currencies and multiple cryptocurrencies, helping both individuals and businesses bypass the traditional bottlenecks of international banking.

For freelancers, SMEs, and multinational clients, this means faster liquidity, reduced foreign exchange costs, and simplified global operations. The demand for real-time financial services is growing rapidly—Juniper Research projects global real-time payments turnover to hit USD 58 trillion by 2028—and Black Banx is strategically positioned to capture a significant share of this market.

Crypto Integration as a Revenue Stream

Another key revenue driver is crypto integration. While many traditional institutions remain hesitant, Black Banx embraced digital assets early and has built infrastructure to support Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the Lightning Network. In Q2 2025, 20% of all transactions on the platform were crypto-based, reflecting strong customer appetite for hybrid banking services that bridge fiat and digital assets.

Revenue comes not only from transaction fees but also from value-added services like crypto-to-fiat conversion, staking yields (4–12% APY), and blockchain-enabled payments. For customers in markets with unstable currencies, these services act as a financial lifeline, further expanding the platform’s relevance.

AI-Powered Efficiency and Risk Management

Record revenues would be less impressive if costs ballooned at the same rate. But Black Banx has proven adept at balancing growth with efficiency. Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 63% in Q2, down from 69% a year earlier, thanks to heavy reliance on AI-powered automation.

AI now drives fraud detection, compliance, and customer onboarding—areas where traditional banks often struggle with cost inefficiencies. By automating these processes, Black Banx can process millions of transactions securely while maintaining profitability at scale. This level of efficiency is rare in fintech, where high growth often comes at the expense of margins.

Regional Expansion and Untapped Markets

Geography also plays a role in fueling revenues. Much of the Q2 growth came from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America—regions where demand for mobile-first banking continues to soar. In 2024 alone, Black Banx reported a 32% increase in SME clients from the Middle East and Africa, signaling the strength of its positioning in underserved markets.

By extending services to populations previously excluded from formal banking—migrant workers, rural communities, and small businesses—Black Banx taps into vast pools of latent demand. The strategy proves that financial inclusion and profitability are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing.

Diversified Revenue Streams

Another factor behind Q2’s record revenues is Black Banx’s diversified business model. Income is not tied to a single service but spread across multiple streams, including:

Transaction fees from cross-border transfers and payments.
Crypto trading and exchange services.
Premium account features for high-net-worth clients.
Corporate services for SMEs and international businesses.

This diversification insulates the company against volatility in any single segment, creating stable revenue growth even in shifting market conditions.

Michael Gastauer’s Strategic Blueprint

Behind these results is Michael Gastauer’s long-term strategy: scale aggressively but with efficiency, innovation, and inclusion at the core. His vision has always been to create a borderless financial ecosystem, and Q2 2025’s performance is evidence that this vision is not only achievable but sustainable.

By balancing mass-market accessibility with premium features, and by blending fiat with digital assets, Gastauer has positioned Black Banx as a category-defining player in global finance.

The Road Ahead: Toward 100 Million Clients

Looking forward, the company’s goal of reaching 100 million customers by the end of 2025 will likely be the next catalyst for revenue growth. More customers mean more transactions, more data insights, and more opportunities to refine and expand its service offering.

If current momentum holds, the USD 4.3 billion quarterly revenue milestone could be just the beginning of an even larger growth story. The challenge will be ensuring systems scale securely while maintaining trust in an environment where privacy and compliance are paramount.

A Record That Signals More to Come

Black Banx’s Q2 2025 performance—USD 4.3 billion in revenue, USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, 84 million clients worldwide, and a lean 63% cost-to-income ratio—is more than a financial milestone. It is a signal of how the future of banking is being rewritten by platforms that are borderless, crypto-inclusive, and data-driven.

What fueled this record-breaking quarter is not one innovation but a combination of strategies—scalable onboarding, real-time payments, crypto integration, AI efficiency, and expansion into underserved regions. Together, they form a model that doesn’t just challenge traditional banking but actively builds the foundation for global dominance.

For Black Banx, the road ahead is clear: the $4.3 billion quarter is not an endpoint but a launchpad for even greater scale and profitability.