Buy a virtual tree today, earn tomorrow? New investment platform raises pyramid scheme concerns

According to publicly available records, the diram.uz domain was registered in late April 2026 by Best Internet Solution, a private enterprise affiliated with Eskiz IT Company.

Seeking clarification, Kun.uz contacted Eskiz IT. A company representative confirmed that the domain had been registered by Best Internet Solution and said the customer was an individual identified as Madina Madrakhimova.

During its investigation, Kun.uz identified Husniddin Rofiyev, an IT specialist from Bukhara, as the person behind the project and contacted him for comment.

Rofiyev denied that Diram is a financial pyramid.

"I am an IT specialist and developed this website myself. It has not been fully launched yet because technical improvements are still underway. Registered users may choose either to make a deposit or invite other people. Their income does not depend solely on referrals, so this is not a financial pyramid," he said.

He also claimed that the fruit trees advertised on the website would be planted in real orchards rather than existing only virtually.

"I will personally plant these trees. The orchards will be real. I do not intend to create only a virtual garden," he said.

Asked how the platform could begin paying returns one day after a seedling is purchased, Rofiyev said the payouts would initially come from his own funds. He claimed to have UZS 5.3 billion in personal savings that would be used to cover the promised returns.

According to him, money paid by participants is transferred directly to his company's bank account, and the project was launched after notifying the tax authorities and obtaining the necessary approvals.

Despite repeatedly insisting that the platform is not a financial pyramid, Rofiyev's explanation does not appear to align with basic economic principles underpinning investment returns.

Public records show that Rofiyev is also the founder of TXKA LLC, a company registered in November 2023.

The appearance of a platform exhibiting the characteristics of a financial pyramid under Uzbekistan's national domain represents a troubling development. As suspicious investment platforms continue to emerge under different guises, stronger regulatory enforcement and decisive action against fraudulent operators may be needed to reduce the risk of further financial losses for the public.