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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

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Sam Bankman-Fried Can't Subpoena Law Firm Fenwick & West for Documents, U.S. Judge Rules

The founder of collapsed crypto enterprise FTX had argued legal advice from the Silicon Valley law firm was "at the core" of the government's criminal allegations against him.

By Sandali HandagamaJun 23, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried (Liz Napolitano/CoinDesk)

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Alameda Seeks Return of $700M Paid to ‘Super Networkers’ for Celebrity, Political Access

Sam Bankman-Fried promised billions to Michael Kives and Bryan Baum after being awed by their connections to politicians, billionaires and reality TV stars, court filings say.

By Jack SchicklerJun 23, 2023

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Judge Allows FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried to Go to Trial on Only Wire Fraud, Political Contribution Charges for Now

A U.S. federal judge in New York revealed skepticism of the arguments from SBF's defense attorneys in a hearing on their motions to dismiss several counts.

By Nikhilesh De, Elizabeth NapolitanoJun 15, 2023

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U.S. Justice Department Agrees to Try Sam Bankman-Fried on Original Charges Only for Now

Sam Bankman-Fried moved to dismiss most of the charges brought against him last month.

By Nikhilesh DeJun 15, 2023

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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.

By Jack SchicklerJun 14, 2023

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

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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.

By Jack SchicklerJun 13, 2023

Videos

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.

May 30, 2023

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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.

By Sam ReynoldsMay 30, 2023

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

Videos

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.

May 25, 2023

Videos

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.

May 23, 2023