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Sam Bankman-Fried Hires Mark Cohen as His Attorney: Reuters

The former head of the now-bankrupt crypto exchange, Bankman-Fried has yet to be charged with any crimes.

Updated May 9, 2023, 4:04 a.m. Published Dec 6, 2022, 8:59 p.m.
(Midjourney/CoinDesk)
(Midjourney/CoinDesk)

Sam Bankman-Fried has retained high-profile defense attorney Mark Cohen, reported Reuters on Tuesday, citing confirmation from Bankman-Fried's spokesperson Mark Botnick.

A partner at Cohen & Gresser, Mark Cohen is a former federal prosecutor and recently represented Ghislaine Maxwell in her sex trafficking trial.

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Though not yet formally charged with any wrongdoing, Bankman-Fried is reportedly being probed by both U.S. federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for his actions with respect to FTX – the failed crypto exchange he once led – and its sister company Alameda Research.

Since the collapse of FTX, Bankman-Fried – against what might be typical legal advice to keep one's mouth shut – has submitted to extensive questioning in numerous forums, describing his actions as leader of the exchange as possibly stupid but not criminal. The stakes, though, have been upped somewhat of late, with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) strongly suggesting that SBF appear next week before the House Committee on Financial Services, which she chairs, where he would presumably be under oath.

Read More: Sam Bankman-Fried's Self-Incrimination Tour

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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Michael Saylor's Strategy catches a break from MSCI, but analysts caution fight isn’t over yet

MicroStrategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor (Marco Bello/Getty Images)

MSCI won’t drop firms like Strategy from indexes yet, but a broader rule change may still be on the table

What to know:

  • Shares of Strategy rose 6% after MSCI decided not to exclude digital asset treasury firms from its indexes.
  • The decision alleviates immediate pressure on companies holding large amounts of bitcoin but not directly operating in the blockchain sector.
  • Analysts caution that the situation may not be resolved, as future MSCI rule changes could still impact firms like Strategy.