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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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


Videos

U.S. Prosecutors Unveil New Indictment Against Sam Bankman-Fried

U.S. prosecutors unveiled a new indictment against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on Wednesday, adding a bribery charge to the 12 other charges he already faced. Separately, a federal judge paused Voyager's efforts to sell its assets to Binance.US on the same day the CFTC sued crypto exchange Binance alleging "willful evasion" of the U.S. law. CoinDesk Global Policy & Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De discusses the latest details in the world of crypto regulation.

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Policy

Sam Bankman-Fried Faces New U.S. Indictment Over Chinese Bribery Charge

A superseding indictment was shared on Wednesday morning. A Federal judge also approved new bail restrictions for the FTX founder.

Sam Bankman-Fried (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Policy

Sam Bankman-Fried's Lawyers, Prosecutors Agree on Proposed Bail Conditions

The FTX founder will be given a new phone without internet access and a laptop with limited functionality.

Sam Bankman-Fried leaving court on February 16, 2023 (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Videos

What's Next for Do Kwon?

The co-founder of Terraform Labs, Do Kwon, appears to have been arrested in Montenegro, according to a tweet by the country's minister of interior, Filip Adzic. David Z. Morris, CoinDesk Chief Insights Columnist and host of the narrative podcast Crypto Crooks, discusses the latest developments and differences between Do Kwon and Sam Bankman-Fried.

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Policy

FTX’s Bahamas Arm a ‘Nullity’ That Should Be Stripped of Assets: Court Filings

The Caribbean arm is a mere shell to further Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud, FTX's new management says.

Sam Bankman-Fried leaving court on February 16, 2023 (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Videos

Earlier Red Flags and Warnings About Sam Bankman-Fried

According to Time, leaders of the Effective Altruism movement were repeatedly warned of Sam Bankman-Fried's role as CEO of Alameda Research beginning in 2018. Meanwhile, FTX's new management team said the crypto exchange transferred $2.2 billion to Bankman-Fried through various entities. "The Hash" panel discusses the latest in the fall of SBF's crypto empire and the early red flags.

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Opinion

How Effective Altruism Power Brokers Helped Make Sam Bankman-Fried

Academic philosophers covered for Sam Bankman-Fried’s moral failings as long ago as 2018 – and reaped the rewards.

Sam Bankman-Fried leaving court on Feb. 16, 2023 (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Markets

First Mover Americas: Investors Pull Coins From Bitcoin Funds

The latest price moves in crypto markets in context for March 16, 2023.

Investors have been pulling coins from bitcoin funds. (ByteTree Asset Management)

Finance

FTX Paid Around $2.2B to Sam Bankman-Fried, New Management Says

The failed crypto exchange made a total of $3.2 billion in payments to Bankman-Fried and other key employees.

Sam Bankman-Fried (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Videos

DOJ Says Sam Bankman-Fried Should Only Have Flip Phone, Whitelist of Approved Websites

Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail conditions should restrict his use of the internet, including the use of a non-internet-connected flip phone, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice proposed in court filings late Friday. "The Hash" panel discusses the latest developments.

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