I agree that it makes no sense to discuss this as if it was a cryptocurrency, as it was only co-opting the language of cryptocurrencies to push a scam. No coin

I agree that it makes no sense to discuss this as if it was a cryptocurrency, as it was only co-opting the language of cryptocurrencies to push a scam. No coin or blockchain ever existed, and nothing could really be traded, so it makes no sense to treat this as a shitcoin crash or an exchange collapse. It is much, much simpler and dumber than that. However, on a different level... how is this really any different from all the cryptocurrencies that are also only co-opting the language of cryptocurrencies to push a scam, but that go the extra mile to make the grift realistic by creating a cryptocurrency in the process? Think of, for example, Helium, which goes as far as to have a realistic-sounding business model behind it (it certainly fooled me) but in practice is just funnelling money from investors into their pump-and-dump shitcoin, and from miners into their expensive certified devices that they take a cut from. Is Helium any less of a scam, or did they just put more effort into their scam?