seem to be batting 1000 with Ponzi-scam runners saying I am only doing this to help a guy with a huge bet that the Ponzi will fail.

I found a good one:

https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/87934.0

And another:

https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/94900.0

hi scammer.

1)  it also shocks me that there are so many.  just because the list of scams is long doesn't mean they all can't be scams.

2)  you are running a shameful scam.  please return what every of your "investor" money you have left and do not scam please

3)  BDT added to list starting on GLBSE instruments -- https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/93445.0   another 3% wk like it's easy.  

Please guys, list me all of these, and I mean all of these in any subforum, on any exchange, etc.  We must do this for the betterment of bitcoin.  If any operators of these "investment" funds can show me any proof of doing any sort of business that could sustain these yields by all means start embarrassing yourself.  Any operator or proponent of these scams is welcome to call me on my podcast and debate me live. 

Do you realize you just made my point in spades?

the whiskeyandgunpowder article is about an insanely high YEARLY interest rate of 16%  - Pirate and similar ponzis are only offering 200x more interest than that

Yes, If I had no money to invest - why not?... 

Now I'm going to start feeling sorry for Micon.  I must be very stupid (as he noted above) and he is turning into a parody of what he vainly tried to prevent.

(yes - this is as close as I get to trolling - but this has turned into one of the more entertaining threads in my household.  i should get MNW and Phinneas to look in, or even LouxGaroux for some more serious dissection of the thread.)

Must be a real pain in the arse to realise that real economic activity can deliver 2%/week or more.  On that basis, Micon shouldn't be in the bitcoin world at all.

Yeah, this might make sense for someone without access to credit--for a couple months. But why take in increasing amounts of money after you've turned it over a couple of times in your fabulously profitable scheme?

Again, the question is not whether someone can get that ROI. People do it all the time. The question is why someone would pay so much for credit (unless they're trying to attract as much as they can before disappearing).

I think, trying to relabel the Lending category is currently hopeless. There are too many people around who want to believe that those are genuine businesses.

I also think you are overestimating the damage these scams are actually doing. Even pirateat40 is estimated at only $1m, which is a small fraction of the total bitcoin value.

On the positive side bitcoin users are learning fast. We have seen a price bubble already, which developed at over 100 times the speed of a similar bubble on the exchanges in 1929. People have learned the lesson, and a bubble as extreme as that may not repeat itself.

Now people are going to learn about Ponzi schemes. After the first few shut down, people will learn that lesson as well.

Another good thing is that each of these experiences cleans the bitcoin community of its stupidest members. To hand your money over to somebody you don't know, but who promises you 3,300% interest per year without explaining how he does it, and all that in the face of very explicit warnings, you have to be enormously stupid. If you don't want such people around, just let the thing run its course.

I agree that most likely all of these schemes stating weekly interest rates are scams. Those who already proposed to include the entire Lending category in your list are probably right.