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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

FTX Files for Bankruptcy Protections in US; Sam Bankman-Fried Resigns

Crypto exchange FTX announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and Sam Bankman-Fried has stepped down from his role as CEO but will “remain to assist in an orderly transition.” CoinDesk Global Policy & Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De weighs in.

Nov 11, 2022

Finance

Scaramucci Says Investment Firm SkyBridge Is Exploring Buying Back Equity From FTX

FTX Ventures had a 30% stake in Anthony Scaramucci’s SkyBridge Capital.

By Michael BellusciNov 11, 2022

Anthony Scaramucci at the SALT Conference (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Finance

Renunció el equipo a cargo de la unidad filantrópica del exchange FTX

En una carta abierta, el equipo de FTX Future Fund dijo que no está en condiciones de realizar su trabajo ni de otorgar los beneficios y que tiene “dudas esenciales” sobre la legitimidad e integridad de las operaciones comerciales.

By Sam ReynoldsNov 11, 2022

Markets

Wintermute Ceased Trading and Moved Funds From Crypto Exchange FTX US Before Warning

The trading firm said earlier that it had stopped trading on FTX, a separate crypto exchange for international users, but some of its funds were stuck on the platform.

By Krisztian SandorNov 11, 2022

Evgeny Gaevoy, Wintermute CEO (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Finance

FTX's 'Effective Altruism' Future Fund Team Resigns

In an open letter, the team said it was unable to perform their work or process grants and have "fundamental questions" about the legitimacy and integrity of business operations.

By Sam ReynoldsNov 11, 2022

Markets

Crypto's Sharp Declines in Price, Trading Volatility Could Be Worse

Contagion fears still exist, however, and regulators are look ready to sharpen their focus on crypto.

By Glenn Williams Jr.Nov 10, 2022

Former CEO of FTX Sam Bankman-Fried (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Finance

Bankman-Fried’s Cabal of Roommates in the Bahamas Ran His Crypto Empire – and Dated. Other Employees Have Lots of Questions

“The whole operation was run by a gang of kids in the Bahamas,” a person familiar with the matter told CoinDesk on condition of anonymity.

By Tracy WangNov 10, 2022

El ex CEO de FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Videos

Legal Expert on What FTX's Collapse Means for Users

Crypto exchange FTX US – the U.S. wing of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto trading empire – warned its users to close their positions as it might halt trading in the coming days. Keystone Law Partner Louise Abbott discusses the legal considerations of FTX's downfall and what they suggest about the fate of its users.

Nov 10, 2022

Videos

FTX Balances Fell 87% in 5 Days in Epic Crypto Deposit Run, Data Shows

A glance at data from Arkham Intelligence shows the behind-the-scenes operational reality that drove billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried's beleaguered FTX exchange to order a withdrawal halt this week. "All About Bitcoin" host Christine Lee breaks down the Chart of the Day.

Nov 10, 2022

Videos

FTX US Warns of Possible Trading Halt; SBF Tweets: Well Played, You Won

Crypto exchange FTX US warned its users to close their positions as it might halt trading in the coming days. Plus, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried tweets "Alameda Research is winding down trading" and wrote in an apparent dig to Binance, "Well played; you won."

Nov 10, 2022