- The BBC has pulled a documentary on Hanad Hassan, a supposed crypto millionaire
- Hassan was revealed to have been the co-founder of Orfano, a crypto project that was shuttered in October
- Existing holders lost their investment, and the BBC pulled the piece when it got wind of the allegations
The BBC has pulled a documentary about a supposed cryptocurrency millionaire after doubts were raised over the ethics of his income. The Crypto-Millionaire was due to be broadcast on Wednesday night and was supposed to show how 20-year-old Hanad Hassan from Birmingham, UK, turned a £37 ($50) investment at the start of 2021 into £5.9 million ($8 million) by the end of the year. However, it was pulled at the last minute after evidence emerged that Hassan may have made millions from a crypto scam called Orfana.
Hassan’s History Catches Up
Hassan was the subject of the documentary partly because of his rise to riches but also because he is something of a household name in his native Birmingham. He has used his wealth to give back to the community by opening a charity shop, providing financial support for food banks, and allegedly giving at least £200,000 ($271,000) to various charities, which the documentary was also going to look at.
However, once news of the documentary hit Twitter and Reddit, Hassan’s past actions came to light. Particular focus went on his association with Orfrana, a cryptocurrency project set up by himself and one Ahmed Mohammed in April 2021 which aimed to “provide support and life-saving aid to orphans in the poorest countries”:
Seems legit pic.twitter.com/W99EqLlq4I
— Conrad Quilty-Harper (@Coneee) February 9, 2022
However, Orfana was shut down just six months later after a period of instability, with Hassan putting the collapse of the project down to a number of factors including a key team member stepping back for personal reasons, the “toxic” Binance Smart Chain ecosystem, and two community moderators dumping their holdings.
Not a Good Look
It’s not clear how much of Hassan’s money came from this project, but the fact that he was involved in something that he shuttered without warning after the project did nothing except plunge in value does not bode well for his image, which is likely why the program was shelved.
It is not clear how many orphans were helped by Orfana. If any were, we would love to hear from them.
