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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

The 'Crocodile of Wall Street' Reaches a Plea Deal; Sam Bankman-Fried Faces New Accusations

“CoinDesk Daily” host Jennifer Sanasie dives into today’s hottest headlines in crypto, as a couple accused of laundering funds drained from crypto exchange Bitfinex in the 2016 hack have agreed to enter a plea deal. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is accused of leaking the private diary of ex-Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison to the New York Times. And, a closer look at why the Golden Arches are coming to a metaverse near you.

Jul 21, 2023

Videos

FTX Wants to Claw Back Over $1B From Sam Bankman-Fried, Other Former Executives

Defunct crypto exchange FTX is seeking to retrieve over $1 billion from Sam Bankman-Fried and former executives as a part of a new lawsuit against the disgraced founder of the crypto empire. "The Hash" panel weighs in on the details of the lawsuit, which includes the allegation that Bankman-Fried's brother wanted to purchase an island using FTX funds and use it as an apocalypse bunker.

Jul 21, 2023

Videos

DOJ Alleges Sam Bankman-Fried Leaked Caroline Ellison’s Private Diary

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried of leaking the private diary of ex-Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison to the New York Times. The accusation leads to the DOJ seeking a ban on all out-of-court statements made by witnesses and other parties in the case. "The Hash" panel discusses the latest allegations and whether it will hurt Bankman-Fried in court.

Jul 21, 2023

Policy

FTX Leadership Seeks Return of Over $1B in Cash, Stocks From Former Executives

A lawsuit alleges that fraudulent transfers of cash and shares were used to finance political donations, real estate buys, Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal defense, and even potentially an island.

By Sam ReynoldsJul 21, 2023

Extradición a Estados Unidos del fundador de FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, desde las Bahamas. (Real Fuerza de Policía de Bahamas)

Policy

SBF Accused of Leaking Caroline Ellison's Private Diary by U.S. DOJ

The U.S. DOJ also wants to ban the disgraced FTX founder and all parties involved in the case from making any out of court statements in the future.

By Sam ReynoldsJul 21, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Videos

Web3 Studio Satirizes Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX in New Animated Comedy

Web3 studio Toonstar is set to premiere a new animated series this fall called “FORTUN3” that features the defunct crypto exchange FTX and its former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. "The Hash" panel discusses the "crypto-bro" culture and their expectations on the debut of the comedy series.

Jul 20, 2023

Web3

Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX Get Spoofed in New Animated Comedy Starring T.J. Miller

An upstart Web3 studio satirizes the FTX saga in a new “interactive” series called "FORTUN3," debuting this fall.

By Pete PachalJul 20, 2023

Videos

Taylor Swift Previously Approved FTX Sponsorship Deal, But Sam Bankman-Fried Backed Out: NYT

"The Hash" hosts discuss a new report from The New York Times that breaks down how NFL legend Tom Brady's sponsorship deal with FTX turned sour after the exchange filed for bankruptcy. Plus, the panel reacts to Taylor Swift's reported approval of a sponsorship deal with FTX and that Sam Bankman-Fried actually backed out of the agreement.

Jul 6, 2023

Podcasts