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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

Finance

CEL Token Jumps as SBF Said to Eye Celsius in Buying Spree

The native token of Celsius regained momentum just hours after being rocked by the surprise departure of CEO Alex Mashinsky.

By Danny NelsonSep 27, 2022, 6:58 p.m. EDT

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Finance

Crypto Exchange FTX in Discussions for Up to $1B Capital Raise at $32B Valuation: Report

The exchange giant is raising the money as it considers acquisitions.

By James RubinSep 21, 2022, 7:34 p.m. EDT

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

Finance

Crypto Lender Voyager Digital Seeks to ‘Unwind’ $200M Loan to Alameda Research

Alameda, a firm run by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, had said it is "happy to return" the loan to the firm that's now in bankruptcy.

By Sam ReynoldsSep 20, 2022, 12:06 a.m. EDT

Videos

FTX Eyes Raising Capital for Potential Retail-Focused Deal: Source

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX is raising capital in parallel with a potential acquisition, according to a source familiar with the matter. "The Hash" panel discusses what this means for the market in a crypto winter and thoughts on Sam Bankman-Fried's strategies.

Sep 15, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EDT

Finance

Crypto Giant FTX Eyes Raising Money to Fund Acquisitions: Source

Sam Bankman-Fried’s exchange is raising capital as it considers a retail-focused deal, a person familiar with the matter said.

By Tracy Wang, Ian AllisonSep 14, 2022, 3:32 p.m. EDT

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Videos

Crypto Exchange FTX Unusable for Some Amid Strain of CPI Turbulence

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX was unusable for some customers amid high trading volume following a closely-watched economic report on U.S. inflation. "The Hash" team discusses the latest hiccup and how FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried responded to users' concerns.

Sep 13, 2022, 1:40 p.m. EDT

Videos

Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX Ventures to Buy 30% Stake in Scaramucci’s SkyBridge Capital

FTX Ventures, the investment arm of crypto exchange FTX, has agreed to buy 30% of Anthony Scaramucci’s investment firm SkyBridge Capital for an undisclosed amount. “The Hash” panel discusses the latest in a string of deals tied to billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried.

Sep 9, 2022, 1:59 p.m. EDT

Finance

Crypto Investor FTX Ventures to Take 30% Stake in SkyBridge Capital

The firm, founded by former Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci, will invest some of the funds in crypto assets for its balance sheet.

By Jamie CrawleySep 9, 2022, 6:41 a.m. EDT

Videos

3 Senior Executives Reportedly Leaving Crypto Lender BlockFi

Three senior executives are said to be leaving embattled crypto lender BlockFi as the firm irons out a deal to be acquired by FTX.US, the U.S. division of the crypto exchange owned by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried. "The Hash" team discusses what this means for the fate of BlockFi and its customers.

Sep 8, 2022, 1:08 p.m. EDT

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