Russian mega-influencer Sergei Kosenko and gaming entrepreneur Artem Nikolayev are relaunching their embattled AMAZY project from the comfort of Dubai, leaning on a cartel of 350-plus influencers and viral “cash-giveaway” reels packed with what whistle-blowers say are counterfeit bills. Regulators fear that a second pump-and-dump is already under way—this time with fresh victims beyond the CIS.
KEY POINTS
- Influencer army: AMAZY claims partnerships with >350 influencers reaching ~1 billion followers—celebs from Brody Jenner to Nikita Mazepin are pictured on pitch decks (Sources: Вкладер, CoinMarketCap)
- Dual-token lure: Users must buy NFT sneakers, then earn AMT (reward) and AZY (governance) tokens by walking; insiders control the mint & burn levers (Source: tokeninsight.com)
- 99.93 % price crash: $AZY’s all-time high was $0.4468 (Aug 4 2022); today it trades around $0.0003—a textbook rug-pull trajectory(Source: CoinMarketCap).
- Counterfeit-cash hype: Kosenko’s @mr.thank.you reels flaunt pallet-loads of dollars and promise $100 000 to anyone who follows him and 56 friends—sources call the bills fake (Source: fintelegram.com)
- Dubai safe harbour: Like OneCoin’s Ruja Ignatova, Kosenko has taken refuge in the UAE, exploiting light-touch enforcement while victims file complaints abroad (Source: icij.org)
- Repeat pattern: Critics on Russian watchdog site Vklader label AMAZY “a veiled pyramid” that simply cloned STEPN’s playbook (Source: Вкладер)
SHORT NARRATIVE
AMAZY burst onto the scene in mid-2022 promising to pay people for jogging. Early adopters shelled out hundreds of dollars for NFT trainers; within weeks insider wallets dumped 99 % of the circulating $AZY into thin liquidity pools, vaporising investor equity. While holders licked their wounds, co-founders Sergei Kosenko (49 M Instagram followers) and Artem Nikolayev (co-founder of Azur Games) decamped to Dubai.
There, Kosenko re-branded as “Mr. Thank You,” filming viral stunts with stacks of (allegedly counterfeit) cash and pushing a fresh giveaway that requires users to follow 57 linked accounts—a classic funnel into new token promotions.
Read our report on Sergei Kosenko here.
EXTENDED ANALYSIS
| Dimension | Red Flags | Regulatory Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | Prior criminal complaint in Dubai citing fraud & counterfeit currency; asset-freeze of ₽206 M in Russia. | Multilateral Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) may be engaged between UAE, Russia & EU; potential extradition once local investigations mature. |
| Regulatory | No prospectus, no audited tokenomics, influencer promotions without financial-promotion licences. | SEC-style Howey test risk for AZY; Dubai VARA influencer guidelines (Feb 2025) expose promoters to heavy fines. |
| Operational | Centralised admin wallet 0x7b66…Bd8F86 controls mint/burn; >670 % vol/market-cap ratio indicates wash-trading. | Exchanges face KYC subpoenas; chain-analysis can map off-ramps to Dubai OTC desks. |
| Reputational | Public backlash on YouTube & Telegram; Vklader tags AMAZY a scam. | Brands & talent agencies partnering with AMAZY risk ESG blow-back and potential class-action exposure. |
ACTIONABLE INSIGHT
Freeze the funnel. Monitor Instagram/TikTok campaigns tied to @mr.thank.you and flag any wallet addresses embedded in link-in-bio redirects. Prompt exchanges to pre-emptively blacklist deposits originating from those promo links—cutting liquidity before another dump occurs.
WHO’S WHO & HOW THEY CONNECT
| Person / Entity | Role in Scheme | Notable Links |
|---|---|---|
| Sergey Kosenko | Co-founder, chief promoter, Dubai resident | @mr.thank.you IG; asset-freeze in RU; subject of Dubai criminal complaint |
| Artem Nikolayev | Co-founder, tech lead (ex-Azur Games) | Interviews touting “Realverse” differentiator (Source: Cointelegraph) |
| AMAZY Labs / FZCO | Corporate wrapper for app, tokens & marketplace | Smart-contract 0x7b66…Bd8F86 on BNB Chain |
| Influencer Network (350+) | Marketing engine—celebs, athletes, crypto YouTubers | Lists captured in Vklader & AMA decks (Sources: Вкладер, thegemhunters.net) |
| OTC Desks, Dubai | Fiat off-ramps receiving post-dump proceeds | Subject to forthcoming KYT subpoenas |
CALL FOR INFORMATION
We urge any influencer or insider who was paid—cash, tokens or NFTs—to pump AMAZY to contact Whistle42 (PGP & onion supported). Provide promo contracts, wallet screenshots, or chat logs. Regulators are especially interested in proof of counterfeit-cash photo shoots or scripted giveaway content.
