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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

Policy

Class-Action Lawsuit Against Sam Bankman-Fried and Celebrity FTX Promoters Gets a New Judge in Miami

The lawsuit is one of many class-action suits filed against FTX in the month since its collapse.

By Cheyenne LigonDec 9, 2022

Sam Bankman-Fried and Tom Brady at Crypto Bahamas conference in Nassau in April 2022 (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Videos

SBF's Alameda Research Secretly Funded Crypto Media Site 'The Block'; Crypto Contagion Concerns

Crypto media site The Block was secretly funded over the last two years by Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research, The Block confirmed on Friday. Bernstein reacted to Genesis’ extended withdrawal freeze, saying that saving Grayscale would cost a fortune for Digital Currency Group (DCG), which owns Genesis Trading, Grayscale and CoinDesk. Plus, details on Coinbase asking users to switch USDT for USDC and Bankman-Fried agreeing to testify before U.S. House Financial Committee.

Dec 9, 2022

Finance

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research Secretly Funded Crypto Media Site The Block and Its CEO

CEO Michael McCaffrey has resigned as a result of the loans coming to light, The Block confirmed.

By Nelson WangDec 9, 2022

Michael McCaffrey has resigned as CEO of The Block. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Videos

FTT Token Surges Following FTX's Revival Proposal Supported by Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX's exchange token FTT is skyrocketing over the last 24 hours after Sam Bankman-Fried tweeted his support of a plan to restart FTX by issuing a new FTT token and giving it to creditors and depositors. Matrixport Head of Research and Strategy Markus Thielen weighs in on this price jump, calling it the "second leg of [Bankman-Fried's] scam strategy."

Dec 9, 2022

Videos

Sam Bankman-Fried Agrees to Testify Before Lawmakers

Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, has said in a tweet that he'll testify before the House Financial Services Committee at a Dec. 13 hearing. CoinDesk Global Policy & Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De discusses what to expect from the meeting and insights on SEC's letter that urges companies to disclose crypto damage to investors.

Dec 9, 2022

Videos

Bitcoin Above $17K as Wholesale Price Inflation Is Hotter Than Expected

Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around $17,100 after a new wholesale inflation report is hotter than expected. Matrixport Head of Research and Strategy Markus Thielen discusses what this latest economic data means for the crypto market. Plus, insights on the surge in FTT token after Sam Bankman-Fried showed his support for an FTX revival plan.

Dec 9, 2022

Finance