"HODL Mode"

But first, a word from our CEO

🚨 Must watch! A #Celsius commercial: Celsius vs. Banks. Oh, so ironic. Poetic justice. 😄 pic.twitter.com/WBIghwRWwO

— WallStreetPro (@wallstreetpro) July 17, 2022

Sure it was a Ponzi scheme, but it was an innovative Ponzi scheme.

From the Block:

Celsius remained unable to make any public statements due to legal advice, but people with knowledge of the situation told The Block the firm was looking to avoid lengthy bankruptcy proceedings. Sources said Celsius believes much of its retail clientele would prefer the firm avoid bankruptcy and that users could show their support by engaging "HODL Mode" in their Celsius account, a security feature that keeps users from withdrawing or sending funds while activated, in the hopes that the legal team would see the strength of feeling existing among users. Celsius did not respond to requests for comment at that time.

"Strength of feeling" is a telling phrase. Culture (with emphasis on the first four letters) always plays an outsized role in almost all web3 businesses. While many crypto investors are simply in it because it superficially looks like a good deal, a substantial segment are there not just because they think they'll get rich but because they see themselves as warriors willing to face financial ruin to advance a noble cause. 

For these investors, "HODL" is an emotionally charged term of great power. The idea of making that into a feature is inspired in an incredibly evil sort of way. Just imagine what Ponzi or Madoff could have done with it.

There's a lot more ugliness in the Celsius story. The always reliable Coffeezilla walks us through the latest twists and turns.