Earlier this year, PCG reported on a new development in crypto graft. The news came in the wake of a Guardian Australia investigation into Hyperverse, a crypto scheme that collapsed with an estimated $1.3 billion in losses. Rhys Lewis had one hell of a C.V., but when the wheels came off, he seemed to disappear into thin air. Now the man behind this crypto king has been discovered, and in another development that truly epitomizes crypto, it was an actor who was paid relatively little.

The HyperVerse scheme was announced in late 2021 with a video featuring Rhys Lewis, along with video messages of support from such luminaries as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and actor Chuck Norris (these were not endorsements; they were just a few words of encouragement), (These were not endorsements, but rather scripts requested through Cameo.) According to the company, Rees Lewis is a graduate of Leeds University, has a master's degree from Cambridge University, sold his company to Adobe, started an obscure startup, worked at Goldman Sachs, and has a varied background. As the Hyperverse investigation began, the Guardian began contacting these institutions.

And now they have found the man pretending to be Rhys Lewis. Stephen Harrison, a British resident of Thailand, said he was "shocked" to discover what HyperVerse had claimed about him and took the job while working as a freelance presenter and commentator. According to Harrison, he was approached about the story by a friend of a friend, and thinking it was a simple presenter's job, Harrison accepted.

"I was told I was playing the role of representing the business, and many people do," Harrison said. He admitted that he initially had some doubts about the company because of his lack of knowledge about cryptography, but his agent told him that the hyperverse was legitimate, and he accepted the job. According to Harrison, he "certainly did not pocket" the proceeds of the scheme, but was paid 180,000 Thai baht ($5,150) over a period of about nine months. He was also paid in kind for a cashmere suit, two shirts, two ties, and a pair of shoes for recording.

Harrison asked why they told him to use a pseudonym. They were like, "Well, you are an actor and you are playing a role that you show in the business. This is totally normal."

Narrator: it was not completely normal. Harrison was hired by an Indonesian talent agency called Mass Focus as a "presenting talent." (Harrison was hired by an Indonesian talent agency called Mass Focus as a "presenter-talent" (which may not have existed) and never spoke to anyone in the hyperverse, including the co-founders. He said he worked a few hours every few months, filming at various locations in Bangkok, receiving scripts and recording videos for the crypto-scheme.

Harrison claims that he did not monitor the Twitter account in his name, the celebrity endorsements, or what HyperVerse was up to. When the Guardian Australia's investigation first started throwing stones, a YouTuber named Jack Gamble managed to identify Harrison through image searches and good old-fashioned Internet research.

"I was utterly shocked at what I saw," says Harrison.

"I had never looked up Steven Rhys Lewis on the Internet; I watched YouTube occasionally, but other than that I had no connection to the role."

"When I read that article in the paper, I was like, jeez, they're talking about me like I'm highly educated, I have GCSEs, but I'm not at that level. [19] [20] As for the victims of the hyperverse, which collapsed with a potential loss of $1.3 billion, "I feel bad for these people," Harrison said. And only God knows what those people have lost."

"And I am sorry for this. I am so sorry for these people. It's horrible for them. I just hope that there is some kind of solution. I know it's hard to get money back from these people and all that, but I hope there is some justice that can get to the bottom of this case."

It seems incredible that someone could be the face of a scam of this magnitude and not realize what is going on or be a little more curious about what their work is being used for. Then again, such odd jobs are part of the careers of many actors and presenters, the kind of work that keeps the lights on in between more meaty jobs.

I don't know if I fully buy Harrison's claim of wide-eyed innocence, but it doesn't seem like he was really involved with the hyperverse beyond accepting money and reading scripts. In the end, Harrison got a blackface name, a few thousand dollars, and a new suit. The real bad guy is surely the one who disappeared with millions of dollars.