# Easy Money or Greatest Ponzi? *Author: Bankless* *Published: Apr 16, 2026* *Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/easy-money-or-greatest-ponzi-2* --- **🔒 FREE PREVIEW: **Upgrade to unlock full access. [**Join Bankless Premium**](https://www.bankless.com/join)**.** [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2026/04/Group-733-1.png)](https://brix.money/) Easy Money or Greatest Ponzi? Published on Apr 16, 2026 [ View in Browser ](https://bankless.com/read/briefs) --- [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568) [](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568) [](https://ready.go.link/bankless-nb-t)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568) [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [***Sponsor: Brix***](https://brix.money/)*** ***— Access real-world yield in DeFi. Built on MegaETH.[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568) [Join the Waitlist](https://brix.money/)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568) [](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568) [](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502)[](https://bankless.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/69580059dbc84d000120d568)[](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](https://www.bankless.com/portal/content/posts/view?id=8502) [](javascript:;) .  .  . NEED TO KNOW BTC's Quantum Solution? [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2026/04/Group-22--9-.png)](https://www.bankless.com/)- 🟠** Bitcoin Developer Coalition Floats BIP-361 to Freeze Quantum-Vulnerable Wallets. **Bitcoin’s current quantum defense plan [seeks](https://www.bankless.com/read/news/bitcoin-developer-coalition-floats-bip-361-to-freeze-quantum-vulnerable-wallets) to solve a future threat at the detriment of its most sacred rule. - 💸 **Tether Leads $150M Drift Post-Hack Recovery Effort. **The recovery plan [includes](https://www.bankless.com/read/news/tether-partners-pledges-150m-to-support-drift-protocols-recovery) the issuance of another Drift token and will see the Solana-based perpetuals exchange adopt USDT. - 🇺🇸 **CFTC's Selig Credits AI Efficiency Amid Staffing Crunch.** Proper enforcement in markets [remains](https://www.bankless.com/read/news/cftcs-selig-credits-ai-efficiency-amid-staffing-crunch) a "top priority" for the federal derivatives regulator. 📸**Daily Market Snapshot: **Investors are continuing to bid up stock markets to new heights as they hope for an Iran deal. ETH bucked the market with a red day after a stronger week than most other tokens. Prices as of 6pm ET 24hr 7d ![](https://banklesspublic.b-cdn.net/cmc.png) **Crypto** $2.53T ↗ 0.7% ↗ 4.0% ![](https://banklesspublic.b-cdn.net/btc.png) **BTC** $75,097 ↗ 0.2% ↗ 3.7% ![](https://banklesspublic.b-cdn.net/eth.png) **ETH** $2,349 ↘ 0.9% ↗ 6.1% .  .  . CHEAT SHEET Crypto Debit Cards *Once a week, Premium subscribers get access to the top Market Plays, Hot Reads, Farming Opps, and Airdrop Hunts that our analyst team is tracking! Don't miss out!* 👇 [Get Bankless Premium](https://www.bankless.com/join) .  .  . PLAY OF THE WEEK Is Strategy's STRC the 'Greatest Ponzi Known to Man'? Bankless Analyst: [ Jack Inabinet](https://www.bankless.com/author/jack) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2026/04/image---2026-04-16T174022.570.png)](https://www.bankless.com/read/is-strategys-strc-the-greatest-ponzi-known-to-man)**Depending on who you ask,** STRC is either "[*the greatest ponzi known to man*](https://x.com/Dogetoshi/status/2044042424926830621?s=20)" or "[*mathematically the best risk-return credit instrument in the entire $200T+ credit market*](https://x.com/PunterJeff/status/2044235009536733485?s=20)." This so-called “perpetual preferred stock” currently [pays](https://www.strategy.com/strc/learn) its shareholders 11.5% annual dividends, accruing monthly, and is backed by the full faith and credit of BTC treasury behemoth Strategy. While STRC experienced another [ex-dividend drop](https://www.bankless.com/read/news/strategys-strc-experiences-post-dividend-drop) on Wednesday, effectively shutting off Strategy’s access to this lucrative funding spigot, the DATCo already [secured](https://strc.live/ticker/strc) an estimated **$1.2 billion **via STRC earlier this week, enough capital to fund the purchase of ~17.2k bitcoins. ## Understanding STRC STRC (pronounced “Stretch”) is a publicly traded security on Nasdaq Exchange.  A modern marvel of financial engineering, STRC touts extraordinary yield for income-focused investors – conveniently packaged as a relatively stable instrument that helps Strategy raise capital to buy more bitcoin without... [Continue with Premium](https://www.bankless.com/read/is-strategys-strc-the-greatest-ponzi-known-to-man) ---