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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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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.
'Number Go Up' Author on Crypto's Wild Ride: It's the 'Greatest Financial Mania in the History of the World'
"Number Go Up" author Zeke Faux discusses the key highlights of his new book that documents crypto's wild ride, including his conversations with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried before the exchange filed for bankruptcy.
Sam Bankman-Fried Remains Stuck in Jail
The FTX founder lost his bid for a “temporary release” from jail ahead of trial.
Judge Denies Sam Bankman-Fried's Bid for Release From Jail Ahead of Trial
Bankman-Fried will go on trial next month.
Sam Bankman-Fried's Lawyers Bicker With Prosecutors Over Proposed Witnesses
Sam Bankman-Fried's defense team continues to squabble with prosecutors over the Department of Justice's motion to disqualify some proposed witnesses. CoinDesk's global policy and regulation managing editor Nikhilesh De details the back-and-forth between the government and the FTX founder's attorneys.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Push Back Against DOJ’s Motion to Block Proposed Witnesses
In a Monday night filing, defense attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried fired back against prosecutors wanting to disqualify proposed expert witness testimony, claiming that the U.S. Department of Justice is pushing to prevent the FTX founder from having a fair trial. CoinDesk's global policy and regulation managing editor Nikhilesh De breaks down the latest legal developments.
DOJ 'Overreaching' in Trying to Block Sam Bankman-Fried's Proposed Witnesses, Defense Says
The DOJ, for its part, said the defense mischaracterized a proposed prosecution witness's planned testimony.
Sam Bankman-Fried, DOJ Propose Jury Questions Ahead of October Trial
The filings come amid a back-and-forth over whether Bankman-Fried should be released from jail to work on his defense.
FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s Attorneys Fire Back at Prosecutors Over Laptop Access
Attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried are clapping back at the Department of Justice in a new memo Friday, claiming prosecutors exaggerated the amount of access FTX founder really has to defense material. CoinDesk's global policy and regulation managing editor Nikhilesh De breaks down the arguments in the letter and whether Bankman-Fried has a chance to be released from jail ahead of his trial in October.
DOJ Claims About Sam Bankman-Fried's Laptop Access Are 'Inaccurate', Defense Alleges
Prosecutors said they had fixed most of Bankman-Fried's laptop issues with the defense's help earlier this week. The defense continues to push for a "temporary release."
Former FTX Executive Ryan Salame Could Forfeit $1.5B as Part of Guilty Plea
Former co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets Ryan Salame pleaded guilty to a number of federal criminal charges tied to the exchange. The former FTX executive has been ordered to forfeit more than $1.5 billion dollars as a part of his plea agreement with the government. CoinDesk's global policy and regulation managing editor Nikhilesh De discusses what Salame's guilty plea means ahead of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's upcoming trial in October.