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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

Juridique

Sam Bankman-Fried Can Contest Extra DOJ Charges, Bahamas Supreme Court Says

The FTX founder pleaded not guilty to fraud in the U.S. after being extradited from the Caribbean country.

Par Jack Schickler14 juin 2023, 3:24 a.m. UTC−4

Sam Bankman-Fried outside U.S. District Court on Feb. 9, 2023 (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Juridique

Sam Bankman-Fried's Bahamas Litigation May Take ‘Months or Years,’ His Counsel Says

The FTX founder’s lawyers argue that a new Supreme Court judgment shows that he has not committed fraud.

Par Jack Schickler13 juin 2023, 2:23 a.m. UTC−4

Sam Bankman-Fried (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Vidéos

U.S. Criminal Charges Against Sam Bankman-Fried Don’t Warrant Dismissal: Prosecutors

Criminal charges that lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried sought to dismiss, including technicalities around his extradition back to the U.S. and campaign finance violations, are valid, prosecutors said in court filings from Monday. "The Hash" panel discusses the latest in the FTX bankruptcy case.

30 mai 2023, 2:46 p.m. UTC−4

Juridique

U.S. Criminal Charges Against Sam Bankman-Fried Don’t Warrant Dismissal, Prosecutors Say

Lawyers for the disgraced FTX executive filed pre-trial motions in early May to dismiss most of the charges on technicalities or procedural issues.

Par Sam Reynolds30 mai 2023, 4:13 a.m. UTC−4

Sam Bankman-Fried leaving court on February 16, 2023 (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Vidéos

Shaq Is Served Again in FTX Lawsuit, Lawyer Says

Shaquille O'Neal has been served again in a class-action lawsuit against FTX and founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The NBA legend reportedly received a summons and complaint during Tuesday night's game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. "The Hash" panel shares their reactions.

25 mai 2023, 12:53 p.m. UTC−4

Vidéos

FTX CEO's Legal Billings Hint at Comeback for the Exchange

The latest billing report of FTX's new CEO John Ray III suggests that the exchange could be rebooted. "The Hash" panel discusses the possibility of building "FTX 2.0" and reacts to a new report from The New York Times on the evidence collected against the disgraced founder Sam Bankman-Fried.

23 mai 2023, 12:56 p.m. UTC−4

Vidéos

Laura Shin Reflects on Crypto's Evolution in the Last Decade

As part of CoinDesk Turns 10, "The Cryptopians" author "Unchained" podcast host Laura Shin joins "First Mover" to reflect on the past, present, and future of the crypto industry. Shin discusses the lessons learned from the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX, Do Kwon's Terraform Labs, and unpacks the history of Ethereum.

23 mai 2023, 10:22 a.m. UTC−4

Vidéos

Exploring the Ties Between Sam Bankman-Fried and Rep. George Santos

"The Hash" panel discusses Rep. George Santos (R-NY)'s ties to Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of collapsed crypto exchange FTX. According to public records uncovered in December of 2022, Santos’ donors included three figures from the FTX circle. The Santos campaign reportedly received the maximum possible individual donation from FTX senior exec Clare Watanabe, product head Ramnik Arora and Ryan Salame, CEO of the company's Bahamian subsidiary FTX Digital Markets, who gave upwards of $24 million to Republican candidates and committees during the midterms.

15 mai 2023, 1:03 p.m. UTC−4

Analyses

Sam Bankman-Fried's Ties to George Santos Are Just the Beginning

Donations to the lying congressman were just a grace note in FTX's symphony of alleged corruption.

Par David Z. Morris12 mai 2023, 1:27 p.m. UTC−4

U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY)(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Vidéos

Sam Bankman-Fried Files Pretrial Motions to Dismiss Most Criminal Charges Against Him

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried filed pretrial motions to dismiss a majority of the charges he faces late Monday. CoinDesk's Global Policy and Regulation Managing Editor Nikhilesh De discusses the road ahead for Bankman-Fried's legal battle.

9 mai 2023, 10:47 a.m. UTC−4