- Back to menuPrices
- Back to menuResearch
- Back to menu
- Back to menu
- Back to menu
- Back to menuResearch
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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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.
FTX’s Bankman-Fried Pitches CFTC on Directly Clearing Customers’ Crypto Swaps
The crypto exchange’s founder and CEO made his case at a Washington, D.C., roundtable, while mainstream derivatives firms painted his ideas as dangerous.
FTX's Bankman-Fried Is Already a Political Mega-Donor. He's Doubling Down
The effective altruist has given tens of millions of dollars to candidates. He's planning to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars more.
FTX US Debuts Stock Trading in Push for Bigger Slice of US Retail Pie
FTX.US, the Chicago post of Sam Bankman-Fried’s trading empire, said it will begin testing stock trading functionality for a handful of U.S. users. “The Hash” panel discusses FTX’s push into the traditional finance ecosystem and why we could expect to see more crypto exchanges follow suit.
FTX US Debuts Stock Trading in Push for Bigger Slice of US Retail Pie
Brokerage accounts can be funded with the stablecoin USDC, the exchange said.
FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Buys 7.6% Stake in Robinhood
According to an SEC filing, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried bought 56 million Robinhood (HOOD) shares on May 2, representing a 7.6% stake in the popular trading app. HOOD rose more than 20% upon the news. "The Hash" hosts react, discussing what could be next. Is a Robinhood-FTX.US merger on the horizon?
Derivatives' Old Guard Fights FTX Chief Over Plan to Cut Out Middlemen
FTX CEO Bankman-Fried testified at a House hearing, defending his CFTC proposal to directly clear customers’ margin-backed derivatives.
Wall Street Goes Crypto in the Bahamas
The inaugural Crypto Bahamas conference was a four-day flex of FTX’s expanding empire – with a new era of “corporate crypto” firmly on display.
Crypto Venture Capital's Rejection of Venture Capital and ‘The Box’
The mechanics behind crypto yield farming are eerily simple, but that simplicity should act as a warning label rather than an advertisement.
Russian Crypto Miner BitRiver Hit by US Sanctions
CoinDesk Managing Editor for Global Policy and Regulation Nikhilesh De discusses Russian crypto mining firm BitRiver being hit with U.S. sanctions amid the invasion of Ukraine. Plus, a conversation about a recent meeting between FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried and members of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).