Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried, once a pivotal figure in the cryptocurrency industry, was convicted in November 2023 of committing fraud and conspiracy for stealing billions of dollars of money belonging to customers of his FTX crypto exchange, funneling the money to Alameda Research, his hedge fund. FTX had been one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges before its demise, a major player in derivatives trading including perpetual futures. The company's undoing was spurred by a CoinDesk scoop in November 2022 showing Alameda's balance sheet was mysteriously full of the FTT token issued by FTX – calling into question both Alameda and FTX's financial stability. The Bahamas-based company filed for bankruptcy nine days after the story. Before his downfall, SBF (as the former billionaire is commonly known as) had been a leading figure in crypto, pushing for regulation of the industry in the U.S. He was a major political donor and the public face of effective altruism, a movement geared toward maximizing the amount of good done by philanthropy. SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering. His trial began in October 2023, and he was convicted on Nov. 2, 2023, a year to the day after the CoinDesk story that caused his crypto empire to crumble.


Vidéos

Cybercriminals Are Opportunists: Former FBI Special Agent

Following another multi-million dollar attack, former FBI Special Agent Chris Tarbell, who co-founded investigative firm NAXO, points out that hackers are "opportunists." He adds that "the laws are slow in cybercrime." Plus, his take on FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried's proposal of capping hacker bounties at $5 million.

Recent Videos

Vidéos

FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried Backtracks on $1B Political Donation; Russians Face New Crypto Sanctions in the EU

Sam Bankman-Fried, the head of crypto exchange FTX, in an interview with Politico's Morning Money backtracked on his remarks that he would donate up to $1 billion in the next U.S. presidential election. Plus, crypto exchanges LocalBitcoins, Crypto.com and Blockchain.com have notified their Russian users that their services will soon be discontinued and recommended that the users withdraw funds from their accounts.

CoinDesk placeholder image

Vidéos

FTX Eyes Raising Capital for Potential Retail-Focused Deal: Source

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX is raising capital in parallel with a potential acquisition, according to a source familiar with the matter. "The Hash" panel discusses what this means for the market in a crypto winter and thoughts on Sam Bankman-Fried's strategies.

Recent Videos

Vidéos

Crypto Exchange FTX Unusable for Some Amid Strain of CPI Turbulence

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX was unusable for some customers amid high trading volume following a closely-watched economic report on U.S. inflation. "The Hash" team discusses the latest hiccup and how FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried responded to users' concerns.

Recent Videos

Vidéos

Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX Ventures to Buy 30% Stake in Scaramucci’s SkyBridge Capital

FTX Ventures, the investment arm of crypto exchange FTX, has agreed to buy 30% of Anthony Scaramucci’s investment firm SkyBridge Capital for an undisclosed amount. “The Hash” panel discusses the latest in a string of deals tied to billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried.

CoinDesk placeholder image

Vidéos

3 Senior Executives Reportedly Leaving Crypto Lender BlockFi

Three senior executives are said to be leaving embattled crypto lender BlockFi as the firm irons out a deal to be acquired by FTX.US, the U.S. division of the crypto exchange owned by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried. "The Hash" team discusses what this means for the fate of BlockFi and its customers.

Recent Videos

Vidéos

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Addresses Crypto Bailout Outcomes Amid Recent Market Volatility

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said in a recent interview with Bloomberg that his crypto bailouts had "mixed" results. "The Hash" panel discusses the deals he made during the market downturn and his visit to the White House in May as lawmakers debated which government agency should be the crypto industry's primary federal market regulator.

Recent Videos

Vidéos

Here’s Why FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried Visited the White House

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried visited the White House in May amid regulatory turf battle between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). CoinDesk Global Policy & Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De discusses the details.

Recent Videos

Vidéos

Ava Labs CEO Rejects Crypto Leaks Allegations; Sam Bankman-Fried Denies Rumored Huobi Acquisition

Ava Labs CEO Emin Gun Sirer says Kyle Roche of the law firm Roche Freedman was never directed to file lawsuits against his competitors, as claimed by self-described "whistleblower" website Crypto Leaks. FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried denies reports suggesting the crypto exchange is planning to acquire Huobi. Singapore's central bank wants to promote a digital asset ecosystem while restricting crypto speculation.

Recent Videos