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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

Opinion

How Much Is Too Much to Spend on FTX's Bankruptcy?

Are Sam Bankman-Fried’s victims being ripped off a second time?

By David Z. MorrisJun 30, 2023

John J. Ray III, CEO of FTX Group, has spent huge sums taking the failed exchange through bankruptcy. Is FTX simply that much more complex than Ray's last big unwind - Enron? (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Opinion

Quanto é demais para gastar na falência da FTX?

As vítimas de Sam Bankman-Fried estão sendo roubadas pela segunda vez?

By David Z. MorrisJun 30, 2023

Opinion

Combien coûte trop cher la faillite de FTX ?

Les victimes de Sam Bankman-Fried se font-elles une seconde fois arnaquées ?

By David Z. MorrisJun 30, 2023

Opinion

¿Cuánto es demasiado para gastar en la quiebra de FTX?

¿Están estafando por segunda vez a las víctimas de Sam Bankman-Fried?

By David Z. MorrisJun 30, 2023

Videos

SBF's Motions to Dismiss Criminal Charges Rejected; What TradFi Giant Could Apply for Spot Bitcoin ETF Next?

"CoinDesk Daily" host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the top crypto stories making headlines, including a federal judge denying FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's pretrial motions to dismiss criminal charges. Fidelity is reportedly expected to submit a spot bitcoin ETF filing. And, Robinhood is ending support for three tokens on Tuesday.

Jun 27, 2023

Policy

Judge Rejects FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried's Motions to Dismiss Criminal Charges

The judge had already denied some of the motions.

By Nikhilesh DeJun 27, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

Opinion

The Second FTX Asset Recovery Report Is Packed With Bombshells

New claims put Sam Bankman-Fried and his friends even closer to the center of a brazen conspiracy.

By David Z. MorrisJun 27, 2023

Opinion

O segundo relatório de recuperação de ativos da FTX está repleto de notícias bombásticas

Novas alegações colocaram Sam Bankman-Fried e os seus amigos ainda mais perto do centro de uma conspiração descarada.

By David Z. MorrisJun 27, 2023

Opinion

El segundo informe de recuperación de activos de FTX está lleno de bombas

Nuevas afirmaciones acercan aún más a Sam Bankman-Fried y sus amigos al centro de una descarada conspiración.

By David Z. MorrisJun 27, 2023

Opinion

Il secondo rapporto sul recupero degli asset di FTX è pieno di notizie bomba

Nuove accuse mettono Sam Bankman-Fried e i suoi amici ancora più vicini al centro di una sfacciata cospirazione.

By David Z. MorrisJun 27, 2023