Sam Bankman-Fried

CoinDesk placeholder image

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 SBF was arrested in December 2022, and his bail was revoked due to alleged witness tampering.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

Read less...

Sam Bankman-Fried exiting the federal courthouse at 500 Pearl Street earlier this year. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
Sam Bankman-Fried Should Spend 40-50 Years in Prison, DOJ Says
The U.S. government also recommended an $11 billion fine and forfeiture.
Sam Bankman-Fried exiting the federal courthouse at 500 Pearl Street earlier this year. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

'Kimchi Premium' Reaches Two-Year High
'Kimchi Premium' Reaches Two-Year High
"Kimchi premium" refers to the difference in bitcoin prices on Korean exchanges compared to global exchanges – and bitcoin is currently trading at a 10% premium in South Korea...
'Kimchi Premium' Reaches Two-Year High

Sam Bankman-Fried (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
Sam Bankman-Fried Doesn't Want to Go to Prison for 100 Years
Bankman-Fried's legal team brought 29 character references in pleading for a lenient sentence.
Sam Bankman-Fried (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Bitcoin Pushes Through $60K on Bull Rally; What Should Sam Bankman-Fried's Sentence Be?
Bitcoin Pushes Through $60K on Bull Rally; What Should Sam Bankman-Fried's Sentence Be?
"CoinDesk Daily" host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the biggest headlines impacting the crypto industry today, as bitcoin (BTC) roared past the $60,000 level, hitting a two-yea...
Bitcoin Pushes Through $60K on Bull Rally; What Should Sam Bankman-Fried's Sentence Be?

Sam Bankman-Fried exits a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
Sam Bankman-Fried Asks for 6.5 Year Prison Term After Conviction in FTX Collapse
Bankman-Fried's lawyers objected to the Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) which recommends a sentence of 100 years in prison calling it "grotesque."
Sam Bankman-Fried exits a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

John J Ray III  FTX CEO in November (House Committee on Financial Services)
FTX Estate Can Sell Near 8% Stake in AI StartUp Anthropic, Court Rules
The motion to sell around 7.84% of Anthropic that FTX held as of January 2024 had been filed in early February 2024.
John J Ray III  FTX CEO in November (House Committee on Financial Services)

Sam Bankman-Fried exits a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
Sam Bankman-Fried Replaces Lawyers Ahead of Sentencing
Bankman-Fried replaced his former lawyers, Mark Cohen and Christian Everdale, as he’s headed into sentencing negotiations.
Sam Bankman-Fried exits a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Larry David on Super Bowl ad for Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX: 'Like an Idiot, I Did It' (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Larry David Calls Himself an 'Idiot' for Doing Infamous FTX Super Bowl Ad
Sam Bankman-Fried's cryptocurrency exchange infamously collapsed months after the commercial.
Larry David on Super Bowl ad for Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX: 'Like an Idiot, I Did It' (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Sam Bankman-Fried Saga Continues in FTX Lawsuit; Bitcoin's ‘De-Dollarization’ Narrative
Sam Bankman-Fried Saga Continues in FTX Lawsuit; Bitcoin's ‘De-Dollarization’ Narrative
"CoinDesk Daily" host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the biggest headlines shaping the crypto industry, including Sam Bankman-Fried's parents asking a court to dismiss a lawsuit...
Sam Bankman-Fried Saga Continues in FTX Lawsuit; Bitcoin's ‘De-Dollarization’ Narrative

Barbara Fried and Joe Bankman at the federal courthouse where their son, Sam Bankman-Fried, was preparing to testify on Oct. 26, 2023 (Victor Chen/CoinDesk)
Sam Bankman-Fried's Parents Ask Court to Dismiss FTX's Lawsuit Seeking to Recover Funds
Bankman and Fried, both professors at Stanford Law School, argued that Bankman did not have a fiduciary relationship with FTX .
Barbara Fried and Joe Bankman at the federal courthouse where their son, Sam Bankman-Fried, was preparing to testify on Oct. 26, 2023 (Victor Chen/CoinDesk)