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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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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.
Bankrupt BlockFi Sues Sam Bankman-Fried Over Robinhood Shares: FT
Cryptocurrency lender BlockFi, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, on the same day sued FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's Emergent Fidelity Technologies holding company for Robinhood Markets (HOOD) shares held by the company and pledged to BlockFi as collateral, the Financial Times reported, citing loan documents it had seen. CoinDesk Global Policy & Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De dicusses the latest developments.
Bankrupt Crypto Lender BlockFi Sues Bankman-Fried for Robinhood Shares, FT Reports
Bankman-Fried, through a holding company, pledged his stake in Robinhood as collateral for a loan.
3Commas Customers Are Asking How Funds Were Drained From Their Accounts
Over a dozen users of the crypto trading service 3Commas, which was backed by Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research, say the platform leaked their credentials and enabled attackers to run away with over $6 million in user funds. CoinDesk Tech Reporter Sam Kessler explains what exactly happened and why conflicting statements from 3Commas have invited more questions than answers.
Turkish Authorities Order Seizure of 'Suspicious' FTX Assets
The country's Financial Crimes Investigation Board says Sam Bankman-Fried is also under investigation.
Sam Bankman-Fried Scrutiny Ramps Up; Bitcoin Wallet of Failed BTC-e Exchange Wakes Up
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland they want Sam Bankman-Fried and others investigated for FTX's collapse. Plus, a crypto wallet linked to the failed BTC-e exchange sent a total of 10,000 bitcoins to two unidentified recipients, its largest transaction since August 2017.
Binance.US Leans Into National Politics With New Campaign PAC
Binance.US is stepping into national politics with its own political action committee (PAC), the Binance.US Innovation PAC. CoinDesk Global Policy & Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De discusses what this means for crypto's role in politics as FTX and its former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried vanish from U.S. policy circles.
Bankman-Fried Apologizes to FTX Employees, Details Amount of Leverage in Internal Letter
FTX’s former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried apologized to the crypto exchange’s employees and revealed the amount of leverage in an internal letter. "I froze up in the face of pressure,” Bankman-Fried wrote. CoinDesk Global Policy & Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De breaks down the contents of the letter.
Bankman-Fried Apologizes to FTX Employees, Details Amount of Leverage in Internal Letter
The former FTX CEO did not address concerns about customer funds being misappropriated or other recent revelations about the company.
Bankman-Fried's FTX Empire Holds $1.2B Cash Reserves; Senators Ask Fidelity to Reconsider Bitcoin 401(k)
Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX empire has $1.2 billion in cash as of Nov. 20, far below the $3.1 billion it owes its top 50 creditors. Fidelity should reconsider allowing retail clients exposure to bitcoin in their retirement accounts in light of the FTX collapse, said three Democratic senators in a letter on Monday. Bitcoin miner Core Scientific (CORZ) ended October with $32.2 million in cash and 62 BTC ($975,000), reiterating it may run out of money before the end of the year.
