When you search for Sam Lee Chan Sam, you usually find yourself at a strange digital crossroads. On one hand, you’ve got the film buffs looking for the gritty, street-smart Hong Kong actor who defined a certain era of 90s cinema. On the other—and this is the part that’s been blowing up the news cycle lately—you have the "Crown Prince of Bitcoin" and a nearly $2 billion crypto collapse that left thousands of people with nothing.
It’s a weird name-collision that has caused more than a few headaches for people trying to figure out who is who.
Honestly, the real story here isn’t about a movie role. It’s about how a guy named Xue "Sam" Lee, often searched as Sam Lee Chan Sam in connection with his business entities and international profile, became the face of what the U.S. Department of Justice calls a massive Ponzi scheme. We’re talking about the HyperVerse/HyperFund saga. If you’ve lost money in crypto lately, or you’re just watching the wreckage from the sidelines, this is the name you need to know.
The Actor vs. The Entrepreneur: Clearing the Confusion
Let’s get the identity thing out of the way first.
If you’re looking for the actor, that’s Sam Lee Chan-sam (李燦森). He was the kid discovered by Fruit Chan for the movie Made in Hong Kong. He’s a legend in the HK indie scene, a member of the hip-hop group LMF, and has nothing to do with blockchain fraud.
However, the reason the search term Sam Lee Chan Sam is trending in business and news circles is because of a different Sam Lee. Xue Samuel Lee. The Australian entrepreneur who moved to Dubai and started a "blockchain empire" that eventually fell apart under the weight of SEC and DOJ charges.
The Rise of the HyperVerse Empire
The whole thing started with a big promise. Sam Lee, along with his partner Ryan Xu, pitched a vision of a "perfect virtual world." They called it HyperFund, then HyperVerse, then HyperNation. The names changed, but the pitch was basically the same:
"Invest your money, and we’ll give you 0.5% to 1% daily returns."
If that sounds too good to be true, it’s because it was.
The SEC filed a complaint (Case 1:24-cv-00296-RDB) alleging that from 2020 to 2022, Lee and his co-conspirators basically ran a massive pyramid scheme. They told people the money was coming from large-scale crypto mining. The problem? The government says that mining didn't actually exist on the scale they claimed.
By the time the dust settled, the estimated losses hit roughly $1.89 billion. That’s "B" for billion.
The Fake CEO and the Steve Wozniak Connection
This is where it gets truly wild. To make HyperVerse look legit, the company introduced a CEO named Steven Reece Lewis. He was presented as a high-flying executive with a resume that included Goldman Sachs and a degree from Cambridge.
He didn't exist.
A Guardian investigation revealed that "Steven Reece Lewis" was actually an actor based in Thailand. They even had celebrities like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Chuck Norris film short shout-outs for the brand. Wozniak and the others weren't in on the scam—they were just paid for "shout-out" videos through platforms like Cameo—but the founders used those clips to trick people into thinking the world's tech elite were backing the project.
What’s Happening Now in 2026?
As of early 2026, the legal battle is still incredibly messy.
Sam Lee is currently in Dubai. He’s been very vocal about his situation, even doing interviews where he claims he’s a victim of a "witch-hunt." He argues that his role was limited to providing the technology and that he isn't responsible for the losses of individual investors.
- The U.S. Position: The DOJ has charged him with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud.
- The Defense: Lee has filed motions to dismiss the civil charges, arguing the U.S. courts don't have jurisdiction over him since he lives in the UAE.
- The Promoters: People like "Bitcoin Rodney" Burton, a major promoter for the group, are now facing their own legal battles and are turning on Lee, claiming he duped them too.
It’s a classic case of everyone pointing the finger at everyone else while the actual investors are left holding empty digital wallets.
Why This Matters for Your Wallet
If you’re looking into Sam Lee Chan Sam because you’re considering a new "passive income" crypto project, be extremely careful. Even while facing these charges, Lee has been seen in promotional videos for new ventures like VEND and StableDAO.
The pattern is usually the same. They use words like "decentralized," "rewards model," and "community-driven" to mask the fact that the money coming out is just the money new people are putting in.
Actionable Steps for Crypto Investors
Look, crypto is a frontier, but you don't have to be the pioneer with arrows in your back. Here is how you protect yourself based on the Sam Lee saga:
1. Check the "Corporate Infrastructure"
If a project has a CEO, Google them. If their LinkedIn profile looks like it was created three days ago or their "previous experience" at major banks can't be verified by a single news article, run.
👉 See also: How to Write why are you interested in this position answers That Don't Sound Like a Robot
2. Verify the Revenue Source
If a company promises 1% daily returns, ask exactly where that money is made. "Crypto mining" is a favorite excuse, but real mining has huge overhead, electricity costs, and hardware depreciation. If they can’t show you the actual rigs or the blockchain hash power, they aren't mining.
3. Don't Trust Celebrity Cameos
Just because a famous person is on a video saying "Check out Project X" doesn't mean they've done due diligence. Most of the time, they were paid $500 for a 30-second clip and have no idea what the company actually does.
4. Watch the Jurisdiction
Notice how Sam Lee moved to Dubai? Many founders of these schemes operate out of countries with no extradition treaties or loose financial regulations. If the company isn't registered with a major regulator like the SEC (USA), ASIC (Australia), or the FCA (UK), you have zero protection when the "withdraw" button stops working.
The story of Sam Lee Chan Sam—or rather, the Australian Sam Lee—is a brutal reminder that in the world of digital assets, your best defense is a healthy dose of skepticism. The court cases in Maryland and the ongoing investigations in Australia will likely drag on for years, but for most investors, the money is already gone.
Stay informed. Always verify. And if a project feels like it's built on hype rather than math, it probably is.