In late 2022, Global RADAR chronicled what quickly became the largest scandal in the relatively short history of cryptocurrency. The shocking collapse of what was just recently the world’s most popular cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, dominated international headlines for months to follow. The case became a cultural phenomenon of epic proportions, with key figures including individuals deemed visionaries in this emerging sector, big-name Hollywood and sports stars, and millions of individual investors affected by blatant financial impropriety the likes of which have never been seen before. Behind the organization’s demise was none other than founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, also known as “SBF.” An eccentric individual once widely accepted as a rising star and a pioneer in the fintech space, SBF’s fall from grace came as swiftly as his company’s shuttering upon revelations that he had been operating a fraud scheme with unprecedented global reach. All told, FTX ultimately crashed on November 11, 2022, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy caused by a lack of liquidity following a mass sell-off on behalf of unnerved investors. When the dust settled, nearly $8 billion in customer funds had been stolen and spent by SBF and other company executives. Over the better part of the next year, federal investigations into the company’s transgressions revealed chronic mismanagement and abuse of power on behalf of SBF, ultimately sending the greater cryptocurrency sector – as well as the life its beleaguered founder once knew – into a downward spiral.
Following an unsuccessful attempt to avoid prosecution by fleeing to the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried was ultimately arrested by Bahamian authorities on December 12th, 2022 and extradited to the United States – later pleading ‘not guilty’ to multiple counts related to fraud and conspiracies, including wire fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and money laundering. In addition to these charges, SBF also faced an additional set of charges in relation to alleged bribery, bank fraud and making illegal political campaign contributions valued at over $100 million collectively. These charges were ultimately dropped by prosecutors who believed a second trial would have proved redundant, this as the bulk of the evidence for these alleged crimes was already to be presented as part of the initial criminal proceedings against the embattled executive, with many convinced that the founder could not possibly escape facing a guilty verdict.
In the months after the firm’s grand unraveling, more troubling information continued to emerge as part of ongoing investigations into the company. This information detailed FTX’s turbulent internal affairs and highlighted a state of sheer disorder seen from the corporate level downwards. Trial evidence emerged that all but confirmed that from its very beginnings FTX was essentially created as nothing more than a tool to achieve what ultimately became the most far-reaching fraud scheme in American history. Bankman-Fried had already laid the foundation for his crimes back in 2017, two years before FTX was even founded. It was then that Bankman-Fried launched hedge fund-esque crypto trading house Alameda Research, a sister-firm of what FTX would ultimately develop into. Once FTX was launched in 2019, SBF ordered co-founder Gary Wang and CTO Nishad Singh to allow “special privileges” to Alameda that were not offered to other customers and included an unlimited line of credit that Alameda and its executives could use at any time. Alameda and its executives were also allowed to maintain a negative balance without penalty – another luxury that no other FTX customer was allowed. The case exposed that SBF and his inner circle were moving clients’ funds without their knowledge to support their personal (and largely pleasurable) endeavors – essentially using their customers’ hard-earned money as a makeshift expense account. Of course, they probably intended to return the money through Alameda’s profits so their customers would be none the wiser. However, they never got the chance to do so following FTX’s swift collapse.
As the investigations into the criminal wrongdoing furthered, Bankman-Fried’s own inner circle – the very individuals he sought to take care of via his fraudulent activity, and several of which he had appointed to lush positions within the company – ultimately sealed his fate. SBF’s own ex-girlfriend (and former CEO of Alameda Research) Caroline Ellison took the stand against him as the prosecution’s star witness, testifying that every decision that was made at both FTX and Alameda was at the direction of Sam Bankman-Fried himself. Ellison was not the only snake in the grass for SBF, however. His two aforementioned cohorts, Gary Wang and Nishad Singh, both made deals with the U.S. government to provide testimony against Bankman-Fried in exchange for reduced sentences. All three ultimately said that Bankman-Fried directed them to commit fraud by helping to transfer billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to Alameda, the affiliated hedge fund 90%-owned by Bankman-Fried.3
Fast-forward to 2024 and the saga surrounding SBF and FTX finally draws to a close. Following his guilty verdict on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in November, a federal judge sentenced Sam Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison last Thursday. As part of the sentencing, Bankman-Fried was also ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture.1 During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan made reference to SBF’s time as a celebrity, gracing magazine covers and testifying before Congress as the face of the cryptocurrency industry, all the while creating irreparable damage to the space and conning investors out of their savings. Judge Kaplan also voiced the fact that there was no remorse on behalf of SBF for these crimes nor for his betrayal of public trust at any point during the trial, which further factored into his decision. The 25-year sentence was significantly less time than the 50-to-60 year sentence prosecutors were originally seeking, though it was clear the federal government wished to make an example of Bankman-Fried. This was made even more apparent by the comments of the Attorney General that followed SBF’s sentencing.
“There are serious consequences for defrauding customers and investors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in reference to the sentencing. “Anyone who believes they can hide their financial crimes behind wealth and power, or behind a shiny new thing they claim no one else is smart enough to understand, should think twice. I am grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their outstanding work in bringing Mr. Bankman-Fried to justice.”2
FBI Director Christopher Wray shared similar sentiments, releasing his own statement about making an example out of SBF. “The FBI will aggressively investigate individuals, like Samuel Bankman-Fried, who engage in fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public and our financial systems.” Wray continued, “We are proud of the successful collaboration that ended this massive mismanagement and misappropriation of billions of dollars. Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to others looking to use fraudulent means for personal gain — there are consequences for your actions.”2
Amidst the turmoil however, these transgressions luckily had little-to-no lasting effects on the health of the cryptocurrency sector, this as Bitcoin and popular altcoins continue to surge to new heights early in 2024. Crypto investors maintain hope that these unprecedented figures are only scratching the surface for what is to come over the next decade, with the SBF saga serving as nothing more than a minor setback ahead of future developments in this industry.
Citations
- Mangan, Dan, and MacKenzie Sigalos. “FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years for Crypto Fraud, to Pay $11 Billion in Forfeiture.” CNBC, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2024.
- “Samuel Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years for His Orchestration of Multiple Fraudulent Schemes.” Office of Public Affairs, United States Department of Justice, 28 Mar. 2024.
- Van Voris, Bob. “After Sam Bankman-Fried Guilty Verdict, What’s next for Caroline Ellison, Others.” Bloomberg.Com, Bloomberg, 3 Nov. 2023.
