Fabrice Kerherve, the alleged founder of Mainston, previously co-founded Flash4People, a pyramid scheme that collapsed. Mainston, a new cryptocurrency venture, appears to be a direct rebranding of that same failed operation, employing the same core operators and structure. The scheme was first flagged in 2015 as a straightforward pyramid and has now resurfaced with blockchain terminology.
Mainston operates under a Macedonian registration at Dr. Mladen Stojanovikj num.10, Kumanovo, with registration number 7360762 and VAT 4017019537409. A Russian address is also listed. Macedonia’s regulatory environment is permissive, and Russia is known for its lax oversight of such operations. These jurisdictions offer minimal protection for investors.
Public information regarding Mainston's ownership is scarce, beyond Kerherve's name appearing on the compensation plan. Sandra and Patrick Collin, co-founders of Flash4People alongside Kerherve, are also identified as Mainston founders. This continuity suggests a deliberate effort to recycle a failed business model.
The scheme requires affiliates to purchase StonPacks for €152.21 each, with no purchase limit. As of early July, one StonPack equated to 1229.928 STON tokens. Mainston promises a 1.25% monthly return on investment, payable in STON tokens. These tokens possess no value outside the Mainston ecosystem.
No actual products are offered for sale. Affiliates can only recruit new members into Mainston. While details of the compensation plan remain obscured, recruitment is tracked across at least six levels. Each StonPack contributes 90 CV points, indicative of a unilevel structure reliant on recruitment volume.
The source of payouts, whether from new investments or actual returns, is not disclosed. This ambiguity is a hallmark of Ponzi schemes. Joining Mainston is free, but generating income necessitates purchasing StonPacks, a model identical to the one used in 2015.
Flash4People's collapse announcement had promised secure and transparent support for its replacement. Mainston offers the opposite: hidden leadership, vague financial terms, and a valueless token sustained solely by new recruitment. Kerherve and the Collins have not introduced an original concept; they have repackaged a defunct scam.