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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

Policy

SBF's cohorts at FTX take last SEC hit, Ellison banned from company roles for decade

Three of Sam Bankman-Fried's top lieutenants atop the former FTX empire — Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang and Nishad Singh — agreed to consent judgments.

By Jesse HamiltonDec 19, 2025

Caroline Ellison exits a Manhattan courthouse after being sentenced to two years in prison on Sept. 24, 2024. (Victor Chen/CoinDesk)

Policy

State of Crypto: SBF (Somehow) Had Another Bad Day in Court

An appeals court seemed very skeptical of the FTX founder's push for a new trial.

By Nikhilesh DeNov 8, 2025

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Policy

Appeals Court Seems Unmoved by Sam Bankman-Fried’s Claims of an Unfair Trial

The former FTX CEO, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence for fraud, has repeatedly claimed that the crypto exchange was solvent at the time of its bankruptcy.

By Cheyenne LigonNov 4, 2025

Sam Bankman-Fried outside court on Feb. 9, 2023 (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

News Analysis

Sam Bankman-Fried's Last Chance? Appeals Court to Hear Arguments on FTX Founder's Retrial Motion Next Week

The FTX founder is looking for a fresh trial on his fraud and conspiracy charges. He's got an uphill battle.

By Nikhilesh DeNov 2, 2025

Markets

Sam Bankman-Fried Posts Lengthy 'FTX Was Never Insolvent' Document

The disgraced FTX founder resurfaced on social media with a sprawling self-defense arguing that customers could have been made whole in 2022.

By Sam ReynoldsOct 31, 2025

Markets

Asia Morning Briefing: After CZ’s Pardon, Odds Rise for Sam Bankman-Fried’s Second Chance

It's still a long shot that FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried will be pardoned, but odds have spiked as Binance's Changpeng Zhao has its criminal record deleted.

By Sam ReynoldsOct 24, 2025

Finance

Sam Bankman-Fried's Sudden 'gm' Lifts FTT Token as FTX Set to Repay $1.6B

Spike in FTT activity coincides with a post from Bankman-Fried’s X account despite prison restrictions, drawing ire from the crypto community.

By Aoyon AshrafSep 24, 2025

Finance

Bankrupt Exchange FTX Set to Repay $1.6B to Creditors Starting on Sept. 30

The latest round of redistributions marks another step in the bankruptcy estate’s plan to make creditors whole after the 2022 collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's exchange.

By Krisztian Sandor, AI BoostSep 19, 2025

Policy

FTX to Start Next Round of Creditor Repayments on Sept. 30

The former crypto giant used to be a mainstay in the digital asset ecosystem till a CoinDesk expose in 2022 resulted in the downfall of Sam Bankman-Fried's empire.

By Parikshit MishraJul 24, 2025