DeFi Protocol Sparks Speculation Of $16 Million Rug Pull After Severing Lines of Communication
DeFi protocol, Hector Network, has closed its official Discord server, leaving many investors in the dark. The move comes amidst growing suspicions of a $16 million rug pull engineered through a so-called hard rug, a process where funds are quickly moved, leaving investors with shitcoins. This comes after a controversial rage-quit vote organized by the project’s DAO.
DeFi Protocol Hector Network Leaves Investors In Limbo
Hector Network investors woke up to the news that the DeFi protocol had cut off communications on its official Discord server. The Discord server was the only means of communication between the network’s team and its investors which was established after the Hector Network team censored them from the official server in April.
The server was meant to run parallel to the official Discord, preserving data from the latter. Since then, it has become the only means of communication among DAO members.
The move has left the network’s investors in a state of shock since they no longer have any means of communication with the network’s team. This has led to a lot of backlash, and according to Libagscientist, an investor and vocal critic of the platform, “there is no backchannel open anymore.”
In the absence of any official communication, dejected investors are accusing the network of siphoning the $16 million left in its treasury.
According to investors, the team embezzled the project’s funds over an 18-month period starting in 2021. According to records of DAO votes, the Hector team received over $51 million in salaries during this period without delivering on any meaningful milestone. An aggrieved investor identified as Jintu said, “..not one thing has actually moved forwards.”
A Story of Sheer Incompetence and Greed
The Hector Network is part of several Olympus DAO forks, a prominent cryptocurrency reserve currency project that peaked during the DeFi summer of 2021. The Hector Network, like other Olympus DAO forks, promised huge annualized yields of about 100,000% in the beginning, and the early successes of Olympus DAO attracted many investors hunting for massive returns.
During its hay days, Hector Network’s native token, HEC reached $357 in late 2021. However, the platform’s challenge lies in the fact that its inflationary yield needs to be supported with a steady influx of investor cash to keep the HEC token valuable and maintain its high yields.
Following the crypto winter that began in November 2021, the platform has been unable to recover. Aggrieved investors believe that the team should have applied the funds held in its treasury toward developing value for token holders.
Many have now accused the team of being greedy and unconcerned about meeting the targets of the network and the current saga might eventually end up in the courts. However, investors’ top priority remains to recoup their funds. Hector Network has declined requests for comments but has unequivocally rejected the allegations in a statement released on June 14.
Featured image from Bitcoinist, chart from Tradingview.com