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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

Litecoin Undergoes Third 'Halving'; Race for Ether Futures ETFs Kicks Off

"CoinDesk Daily" takes a look at the crypto news making headlines as Litecoin (LTC) undergoes it's third "halving." Six firms file applications for ether (ETH) futures-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried say prosecutors moving to revoke his bond release relied on an "extremely thin" factual basis. Plus, Abracadabra is proposing measures to protect from a bad debt situation stemming from an $18 million loan to Curve Finance's founder.

Recent Videos

Videos

DOJ Has ‘Extremely Thin’ Basis to Jail Sam Bankman-Fried Before Trial: Defense

Attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried are pushing back against the DOJ’s motion to jail FTX founder ahead of his trial over allegations that Bankman-Fried has tampered with witnesses. CoinDesk's global policy and regulation managing editor Nikhilesh De breaks down the defense team's arguments.

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Policy

U.S. DOJ Has 'Extremely Thin' Basis for Jailing FTX's Bankman-Fried Ahead of Trial: Defense

Prosecutors moved to revoke Sam Bankman-Fried's bond release, alleging his sharing Caroline Ellison's diary with the New York Times amounts to witness tampering.

Despite claims by right-wing political figures, Sam Bankman-Fried was definitely not a free man when he (right) exited a Manhattan courtroom on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Videos

Crypto Sleuths Find Link Between BALD Rug Pull and Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research

The rug-pulling of short-lived, heavily hyped meme coin bald (BALD) has a whole cast of characters, but is one of them Sam Bankman-Fried? "The Hash" panel shares their reaction to the latest speculation on X (formerly known as Twitter) and what on-chain evidence is actually suggesting as Bankman-Fried’s access to the Internet is heavily controlled.

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Finance

FTX Plans to Restart Crypto Exchange for International Customers

Proposed re-organization plan provides a pathway for a specific class of debtors to pool assets to create a new, offshore exchange.

New FTX CEO John J. Ray III (C-Span)

Videos

FTX Saga Continues: Will Sam Bankman-Fried Go to Jail Before His October Trial?

Sam Bankman-Fried continues to be in the spotlight ahead of his upcoming criminal trial, as the DOJ aims to send the disgraced FTX founder to jail ahead of his court date, on allegations that he has repeatedly tried to influence witness testimony. Hermine Wong, former head of policy at Coinbase and current principal at herminewong.xyz, joins "The Hash" to discuss the latest developments in the FTX saga and outlook on the SEC's lawsuit against Coinbase.

Recent Videos

Videos

DOJ Argues Sam Bankman-Fried's Attempts to Influence Witnesses Prove He Must Be Jailed Before Trial

Prosecutors with the Department of Justice filed a formal submission to a federal judge, hoping to revoke FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's bond and move him to prison ahead of his October trial on allegations that he has repeatedly tried to influence witness testimony. CoinDesk's global policy and regulation managing editor Nikhilesh De breaks down the latest developments.

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Policy

Sam Bankman-Fried's Attempts to Influence Witnesses Show He Must Be Jailed Before Trial: DOJ

The DOJ filed a formal submission to a federal judge after declaring their intent to revoke his bond

Sam Bankman-Fried (right) exits the courtroom in Manhattan after a hearing on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Opinion

No, Sam Bankman-Fried Is Not Being Bailed Out by Democrats

The Department of Justice dropped campaign finance charges against the FTX founder that are likely to return. The issue is about paperwork, not politics.

Despite claims by right-wing political figures, Sam Bankman-Fried was definitely not a free man when he (right) exited a Manhattan courtroom on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Policy

Sam Bankman-Fried Maybe Hasn’t Escaped Campaign Finance Charges

The Department of Justice pulled one charge, but it's still pursuing seven for trial this October – and another trial on different charges next March.

Sam Bankman-Fried (left) exits a courthouse after a hearing on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)