Thread by @rugpullfinder

At the beginning of May 2021, @XposeProtocol token launched, swindling nearly 20,000 people out of over $125 million USD. @VascoRouw and Joshua Kaats were key in advising the project and creating massive social media hype 🧵bnr.nl/nieuws/financi…

2/Early on, @VascoRouw was announced as a key advisor to the project.

3/@VascoRouw was asked about his involvement in the @XposeProtocol project and his reply can be found here - radar.avrotros.nl/uitzendingen/r…

4/Vasco mentioned in his response on Xpose "Finally, I would like to emphasize that I did not earn a single euro on the project. The project has so far only cost me money in terms of commitment and reputation.". Payments don't always have to be in euros though.

5/@XposeProtocol was on a mission to use this token to transform the way brands run marketing campaigns. Core to their strategy was leveraging dozens of influencers to shill this token among circles, promising 20x+ gains.

6/Sadly, in mid-November, founders officially rugged the project, orchestrating a massive pump and dump, benefitting only the team and influencers that were brought on to hype the project, leaving thousands of ppl holding the bag of a now worthless token.

https://twitter.com/aaron_loupatty/status/1452982201923031046?s=20&t=FVPoGTV4-AEWQJjoxzktXA

7/Why is this notable? Well, part of their early roadmap, and made official in late September, and further confirmed in early November, XPose Protocol will be getting into the NFT space!

8/Oddly enough, only 2 days after this post went live on Reddit, Vasco Rouw put out this LinkedIn message, soliciting 2D and 3D artists.

9/Mere days later, LFG NFT BV was registered at Vasco Games office location and listed as a company that manufactures optical mediate. It has 2 directors listed, Vasco Investments BV and Evanki Holding BV.

10/In mid-November 2021, Vasco Rouw launches @StrongApeClub, which rugs almost immediately, draining the first contract funds on November 21..

11/Oddly enough, only hours after the initial funds from Strong Ape Club are withdrawn from the contract, Vasco Rouw purchases @BoredApeYC #7733.

12/Now, 10 days later, Vasco Rouw, along with his business partner, Joshua Kaats, launch @Crypto_Bull_NFT, leaving Strong Ape Club to die its slow death by the end of December.

13/A common pattern of Vasco’s affiliated projects is to bring in groups of whales and VCs to pump the floor price and keep it stable. This pump strategy worked wonders as we saw CBS climb above 1.4ETH in only a few days, where Vasco would then dump the tokens he owned.

14/Here’s where it gets juicy - only 30 days after the launch of CBS, Vasco and Joshua launch the most hyped 3D project - @PrimeApePlanet, while continuing to roll out the same CBS strategy with other 3D projects like @TheSpaceBulls, as advisors and marketing gurus...

15/The strategy - secure whales and investors prelaunch, launch project, pump floor as high as possible (usually around 2ETH), dump. Leave the project and repeat with a new 3D project.

16/Here is a video from Joshua's Instagram partying with Vasco the night of the PAP sellout. Allegedly, their involvement was only to lead marketing (including securing whale investment). Is it odd that the marketing team of @PrimeApePlanet are the founders of @KittyCryptoGang?

17/As reported previously, @Crypto_Bull_NFT was taken over by members of their whale community, Prime Cuts, purchasing the project from the original founders. @SupremeKongNFT and @metapenguinsnft communities both recently orchestrated similar takeovers.

18/Using funds from a previous rug to start a new project is blatantly illegal, even in the current state of an unregulated market.

19/This situation is a lot more sinister as they use this pump strategy to manipulate their communities into believing in their ability to deliver and the long-term success of the project, until pulling the plug and leaving their beloved communities picking up the pieces.