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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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.


Opinion

Thanks Sam! How FTX Led to World’s Worst Crypto Policy

Washington’s “war on crypto” continues to occupy minds in the crypto industry. This week, CoinDesk Chief Content Officer Michael Casey tackles the apparent rise in hostility from U.S. regulators from a different angle: revenge.

Sam Bankman-Fried (DALL-E/CoinDesk)

Markets

First Mover Americas: XRP Marches Forward

The latest price moves in crypto markets in context for March 31, 2023.

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Videos

Sam Bankman-Fried Developments; Tron Founder Justin Sun Reportedly Lost His Diplomatic Status

During a court appearance on Thursday, FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted bribery and campaign finance violations unveiled in two recent superseding indictments. CoinDesk Regulatory Reporter Cheyenne Ligon discusses SBF's plead. Plus, Justin Sun, founder of the Tron blockchain, is reportedly no longer a diplomat for Grenada.

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Videos

Sam Bankman-Fried's Legal Developments; Bitgo Releases Security Features Aimed at Bitcoin Ordinals

FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted bribery and campaign finance violations during a court appearance. Plus, custody provider BitGo releases security features designed to protect owners of Bitcoin Ordinals Inscriptions, which allow people to inscribe text, images and even videos directly on the Bitcoin blockchain.

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Policy

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty to Latest Bribery Charge

Prosecutors added an attempted bribery charge earlier this week.

Sam Bankman-Fried outside U.S. District Court on Feb. 9, 2023 (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Videos

Sam Bankman-Fried to Plead Not Guilty to Bribery, Campaign Finance Charges: Reuters

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will plead not guilty on charges of trying to evade campaign financing laws and attempting to bribe one or more Chinese government officials, according to a Reuters report. CoinDesk Global Policy and Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De weighs in. Separately, OKX says it has identified $157 million in digital assets belonging to FTX and Alameda Research and is turning them over to the bankruptcy estate for the former companies.

The SBF Trial and How We Got Here

Policy

Sam Bankman-Fried to Plead Not Guilty to Bribery, Campaign-Finance Charges: Reuters

The FTX founder previously pleaded not guilty to eight charges of fraud and conspiracy and is awaiting trial in October.

Sam Bankman-Fried (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Videos

Bitcoin Spikes Above $28K; SBF’s Attorney Fees Paid by His Father With Gifted Alameda Funds: Forbes

Bitcoin (BTC) is jumping above the $28,000 level and is on track for its best quarter in two years. Separately, a new report from Forbes states that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's father, Joseph Bankman, has been paying his son's legal fees with money borrowed from FTX’s sister company.

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Videos

Sam Bankman-Fried Facing Charge of Allegedly Bribing Chinese Officials

U.S. prosecutors unveiled a new indictment against FTX crypto exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried Tuesday, adding a bribery charge to the 12 other charges he already faces. Braden Perry, Kennyhertz Perry Partner and former CFTC senior trial lawyer, discusses his reaction and the wider implications for the crypto industry.

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Videos

Binance’s On-Chain Portfolio Stands at $64B, Nansen Data Shows

Data from blockchain analytics firm Nansen shows that Binance’s on-chain portfolio currently stands at $64 billion. Braden Perry, Kennyhertz Perry Partner and former CFTC senior trial lawyer, shares his thoughts on the CFTC lawsuit against Binance and the state of the broader U.S. crypto regulatory landscape as CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam reiterated Tuesday at a congressional hearing that he believes ether is a commodity, contrary to what the SEC has said. Plus, his thoughts on Sam Bankman-Fried facing a new U.S. indictment.

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