Tag: Alameda Research

FTX, once hailed as the gold standard of crypto exchanges, imploded in November 2022, revealing a multi-billion-dollar fraud orchestrated by founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). What began as a scrappy crypto derivatives exchange turned into a house of cards built on customer fund misuse, opaque affiliate structures, and a startling absence of regulatory oversight

In a remote interview with Tucker Carlson on March 5, 2025, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the convicted FTX founder, reframed his $10 billion fraud as a mere liquidity crisis, denying criminal intent while playing chess with Sean 'Diddy' Combs in prison. As he hints at GOP leanings and a potential pardon, SBF’s narrative sparks debate: a bid for redemption or a refusal to face the fallout?

It seems that the bankruptcy of the US crypto exchange FTX will continue to cause ripples across the crypto scene. In a high-stakes lawsuit, the FTX estate is targeting Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), seeking $1.8 billion over a controversial 2021 share buyback deal. Allegations include claims of a “constructive fraudulent transfer” and accusations of tweets that allegedly accelerated FTX's collapse.

Caroline Ellison, 29, a central figure in the scandal around the collapsed U.S. crypto exchange FTX, has been sentenced to two years in prison despite her substantial cooperation with prosecutors. The former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has received a 25-year prison time. Her case emphasizes that even those who assist law enforcement may still face incarceration in cases involving large-scale fraud.

Auditor firm Prager Metis’s negligence in auditing FTX stripped investors of crucial protections, ultimately exposing them to the collapse of one of the biggest crypto frauds in history. The firm agreed to pay $1.95 million to settle charges related to the FTX audits and separate auditor independence violations. The U.S. SEC’s action underscores auditors' vital role as financial gatekeepers.

Caroline Ellison, a former top executive in the collapsed crypto exchange FTX and former girlfriend of FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, is seeking no prison time at her sentencing later this month. The lawyers cited her immediate and extensive cooperation with U.S. authorities when FTX collapsed in November 2022 and noted that the court's Probation Department recommended that she serve no prison time.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has issued a consent order of permanent injunction and equitable relief against FTX Trading Ltd. and Alameda Research LLC. The court ordered the now-bankrupt entities to pay a staggering $12.7 billion in monetary relief to compensate customers and victims of one of the largest frauds in the digital asset space.

Rumors are swirling around Genesis Digital Assets' (GDA) potential Initial Public Offering (IPO). GDA is a prominent US bitcoin mining firm, which once was financially backed by the collapsed Alameda Research of former convicted crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried. According to a Bloomberg report, GDA is exploring options for a U.S. IPO, underscoring the ongoing bullish sentiment in the crypto market.

In the FTX bankruptcy saga, three distinct groups have lodged competing claims over assets seized from former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) following his criminal conviction. In March, the Federal High Court's $11 billion forfeiture order included various properties such as crypto tokens, private jets, and bank funds. Now, the FTX debtors' estate, a class of creditors, and an offshore entity founded by SBF are all vying for control over these assets.

According to a recent report from a court-appointed examiner, the collapsed crypto exchange FTX disbursed over $25 million in hush money to whistleblowers prior to its downfall in November 2022. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) appointed Robert J. Cleary, a renowned lawyer and former lead prosecutor on the Unabomber case, to investigate FTX amid its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.

Sam Trabucco, the former co-CEO of Alameda Research, has resurfaced to defend his friend and former colleague, Ryan Salame, ahead of Salame's sentencing set for May 28. Trabucco, who had been notably absent since the collapse of FTX, wrote a letter to Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing Salame's case. In the letter, Trabucco described Salame as his "best friend" and emphasized that Salame "doesn't deserve to be defined by his worst actions."

In a narrative that reads like a thriller, the founders and executives of some of the most prominent crypto exchanges are facing severe legal repercussions. The upcoming sentencings of Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) of FTX and Changpeng Zhao (CZ) of Binance are pivotal moments that could set a precedent for the treatment of other crypto founders, including Chun Gan and Ke Tang of KuCoin. The authorities hold the executives of crypto exchanges accountable for their involvement in the illegal activities of these exchanges.