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Showing posts with the label ftx

Nishad Singh hopes to avoid prison in FTX case

Nishad Singh, the former Director of Engineering at FTX, has filed a sentencing submission in his criminal case arguing that he should avoid prison in light of his extensive cooperation and smaller role than many of the conspirators in the fraud. The documents detail Singh’s roles at Alameda Research and FTX, from almost the beginning of Alameda up until the firms plunged into a chaotic bankruptcy. They detail Singh’s narrative about how he was unaware of the misappropriation of customer funds at FTX until just months before the collapse, though this underplays his role in creating the infamous ‘allow negative’ years before.  Singh, like other executives, also emphasized that it was recommended to him that he take large, poorly documented loans from Alameda instead of liquidating his tokens to fund his activities. Among his activities described as “regrettable” was the purchase of a multi-million dollar vacation home after he was aware of the theft...

Former Sam Bankman-Fried Lieutenant Ryan Salame Starts Jail Sentence, Jokes About “New Position” As Inmate At FCI Cumberland Prison

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Ryan Salame, a former top lieutenant to Sam Bankman-Fried at the collapsed FTX crypto exchange, announced his arrival at FCI Cumberland prison in Maryland by lighthearedly updating his LinkedIn profile with the new position of “inmate.” “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Inmate at FCI Cumberland!” the former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO wrote on LinkedIn. Ryan Salame Enters FCI Cumberland After Several Delays The humorous job update comes after Salame was convicted in May this year following a guilty plea related to multiple charges, including campaign finance fraud and operating an unauthorized money-transmitting business. During his trial, the prosecution said that Salame had helped Bankman-Fried conceal financial statements to make investors believe that the now-defunct exchange was in a good financial position prior to its collapse. Salame reportedly also donated a large sum of money to support Republicans. Ryan Salame,...

Caroline Ellison hopes cooperation will keep her out of prison

Attorneys for Caroline Ellison, the former co-Chief Executive Officer of Alameda Research, have filed a sentencing memorandum that argues her sentence should be time served for the crimes she committed related to Alameda Research and FTX.  The lightly-redacted document discusses Ellison’s bookish nature, her relationship with Sam Bankman-Fried, and the extent of her cooperation since the failure of the firms. It discusses her love of books that began in childhood and mentions that she has been working on a math textbook and a novel (with a story that is not tied to FTX or Alameda).  The document also reiterates Ellison’s recounting of her relationship with Bankman-Fried, which includes apparent manipulation and that he would take advantage of the power dynamics. The Context: Sam Bankman-Fried was a bad boss and worse boyfriend Latest from @BennettTomlin Subscribe and read https://t.co/coCbDajCkV pic.twitter.com/JTVqp9EGAB — Protos (@Protos) October 13, 202...

Ryan Salame gets longer prison sentence than CZ

Ryan Salame, the former co-chief exec of FTX Digital Markets, has been sentenced to 90 months in prison for conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitter. Salame has also been ordered to make $6 million in forfeiture and $5 million in restitution. Salame was directly involved in the usage of the ‘North Dimension’ entity to aid in maintaining access to bank accounts for FTX, despite it not being appropriately licensed to serve as a money transmitter. He was also instrumental in FTX’s political influence scheme, working with Sam Bankman-Fried and Nishad Singh to make hundreds of unlawful political donations. Additionally, FTX Digital Markets made hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of payments to Michelle Bond, a failed congressional candidate and romantic partner to Salame. Bond additionally received donations to her campaign from FTX US. Salame’s sentence weighs in at significantly less than t...

FTX-backed charity returns $27m following Bankman-Fried’s fraud revelation

A British charity has agreed to repay millions of dollars it received from FTX, condemning fraud underlying Sam Bankman-Fried’s conviction. Effective Ventures, a British charity, has entered an agreement to reimburse $26.8 million to the FTX bankruptcy estate, condemning the fraud linked to Sam Bankman-Fried‘s conviction, according to a report from Civil Society. The non-profit supporting effective altruism will settle with the defunct crypto exchange, repaying millions in donations received from FTX. A spokesperson for Effective Ventures says the amount is “equal to the entire amount which EV UK received from FTX and the FTX Foundation during 2022,” highlighting that EV’s projects can now fundraise with confidence, avoiding the use of donations to cover the settlement. “This means that EV’s projects can continue to fundraise with confidence that donations won’t be used to cover the cost of this settlement. We strongly condemn fraud...

SBF showed investors on the FTX board “extreme resistance”: Co-founder of Paradigm

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Matt Huang claimed that he had been under the impression that Alameda Research was not receiving any special treatment from FTX. According to Matthew Huang, the co-founder and managing partner of the crypto investment firm Paradigm, Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried was strongly opposed to the idea of allowing investors to join the board of directors at FTX. This stance has raised eyebrows, especially among Paradigm and various venture capital firms like Sequoia, Temasek, and BlackRock, who all suffered losses due to their investments in the now-bankrupt crypto exchange. In response, they have faced scrutiny and subsequently issued statements regarding their involvement with FTX. During his testimony in a New York Federal Court on the third day of Bankman-Fried’s trial, Huang asserted that Bankman-Fried believed that having investors on FTX’s board of directors would not bring significant benefits. FTX’s board reportedly consisted of only three individuals: Bankman-Fried himself, an...

Joseph Bankman warned Scaramucci about FTX

While speaking as part of the ‘FTX – What Happened?’ discussion at CoinDesk’s Consensus conference this year, SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci mentioned that on November 7, he received a call from Joseph Bankman, the father of FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Bankman apparently told Scaramucci that there was “an asset-liability mismatch” at the exchange and that it was looking for “rescue funding.” As a result, Scaramucci flew down to the ‘war room’ in The Bahamas.  This was five days after CoinDesk published details on Alameda Research’s balance sheet that suggested it was over-exposed to FTX Token (FTT) and four days before FTX declared bankruptcy.  At Consensus, Scaramucci explained that soon after flying to The Bahamas, he realized that he wasn’t going to be much help and so flew back the following day. He claims that this was the last time he spoke to Bankman-Fried. The FTX debtors in possession recentl...

Lawyer Exposes FTX Founder's Parents in Crypto Scandal

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SBF’s Parents Involved In FTX Crash Deaton took to Twitter to expose the details of Bankman-Fried’s parents’ involvement in FTX’s financial affairs. According to Deaton, Bankman-Fried had transferred $10 million to an FTX account under his name, which he then gifted to his father, Joseph Bankman.  advertisement   SBFraud gifted $10 million in an FTX account in his name and then immediately transferred the money to his father. SBFraud’s dad has long taught corporations and tax law at Stanford Law School for decades. Have you seen all the shell corporations his dad helped him set up? His… https://t.co/nkMplVdsfv — John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) August 14, 2023 Recommended Articles Crypto Presale Projects For 2023 To Invest; Updated List Must Read ...

Binance's XRP, SHIB Balances Hit Impressive Highs

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In a recent update to the PoR, Binance has published the latest update to some of its top token balances, including XRP and Shiba Inu (SHIB). advertisement The Binance Digital Currency PoR Highlight The updated PoR is the 8th the firm will be publishing since it started the transparency move following the fall of FTX.  As it revealed, the total XRP customer balance was 2,594,820,681.419, with the Binance net balance pegged at 2,696,455,113.87 units respectively. Effectively, the XRP balance shows a ratio of 103.92%, an indication that the trading platform is liquid enough to fulfill any form of customer obligation. The same goes for Shiba Inu ( SHIB ) as the exchange’s balance of the memecoin pegged at 79,148,840,350,012.94 far surpasses the customer balance of 77,062,679,485,107.72, a figure that shows a 102.71% SHIB ratio. Recommended Articles ...

The battle of SEC and crypto companies: 2023 outline

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The SEC has initiated legal actions against multiple crypto entities to address potential violations of securities laws and protect investors. As the deadlines for some of them draw near, let’s recall which are expected to end. Gary Gensler’s SEC has taken legal actions against countless crypto -focused business entities to ensure compliance with its securities laws, aiming to bring the tokens of these projects under its securities umbrella. The SEC claims its actions protect investors from falling victim to potential fraud. US regulator aims to foster stability in the crypto currency industry by enforcing compliance and cracking down on deceptive behavior. However, market participants see the regulator’s efforts as harsh and draconian.  You might also like: Mark Cuban calls for simplified SEC crypto regulations SEC vs. Ripple The SEC filed a lawsuit against Ripple Labs and its current and previous CEOs in 2020, alleging they held an initial public offering (IPO) of ...

FTX files $700m lawsuit against investment firm tied to Hillary Clinton aide

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Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit against a former aide to Hillary Clinton and the aide’s invest ment firm. The exchange seeks to reclaim $700 million in invest ments that it alleges were made using misappropriated FTX funds. According to court documents, FTX’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, authorized the transfer of $700 million to entities affiliated with K5 Global, an investment firm led by former Clinton aide Michael Kives and co-founder Bryan Baum. FTX claims that Bankman-Fried allowed this transfer as part of a scheme to misuse company assets for personal gain. FTX moves to claw back $800 million from K5 Global, Olympus Capital, SGN Albany et al. Defendants are further accused of aiding and abetting SBF, dishonest assistance and unjust enrichment. pic.twitter.com/IPcDEtuFxL — FTX 2.0 Coalition (@AFTXcreditor) June 22, 2023 The lawsuit reveals that Bankman-Fried described Kives as an individual with extensive political a...

Hodlnaut works with potential buyers to sell firm and FTX claims: Report

Hodlnaut’s court-appointed judicial managers are reportedly in the process of signing non-disclosure agreements with the potential buyers. Troubled cryptocurrency Lending firm Hodlnaut is reportedly working with several potential investors to sell its Business and other assets. A number of potential buyers have inquired about purchasing Hodlnaut and its claims against the collapsed crypto exchange FTX, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 6. Hodlnaut’s interim judicial managers have received multiple proposals to acquire its Singapore-based crypto business after the company sought protection from creditors. Citing an affidavit, the report notes that the judicial managers are now in the process of signing non-disclosure agreements with the potential investors. The affidavit reportedly indicated that as of Dec. 9, Hodlnaut Group owed a total of $160.3 million — or 62% of outstanding debt — to companies and entities like Algorand Foundation, Samtrade Custodian, S.A.M. Fintech and Jean-Marc T...

US Authorities Shut Down Bitzlato Exchange, Arrest Founder

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On Wednesday, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) shut down Hong Kong-based crypto ex change , Bitzlato. The DOJ released a press release stating that the ex change was a den for criminal activities—from money laundering to ransomware. There were also claims that Bitzlato had received more than $15 million in ransomware payments. As well as processing more than $700 million in illicit transactions.  Organized Crackdown The seizure of the crypto ex change was a coordinated operation by law enforcement authorities in Europe and the U.S. Authorities involved in the operation included the Cyprus Police, the Civil Guard of Spain, Europol, Eurojust, Politie Police, the Belgian Federal Police, FIOD Tax and Customs Administration, among others. Furthermore, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of Treasury connected Bitzlato with illegal financing in Russia.  Notably, a press release by the Network stated that the ex change aided the laundering of C...

Alameda wallet under liquidator control incurred $11.5M in losses: Arkham

According to crypto analytics firm Arkham, at least $4 million of these losses were "preventable losses." The liquidators of Alameda Research have reportedly incurred at least $11.5 million in losses since taking control of Alameda's trading accounts. On Jan. 16, a Twitter thread from Arkham Intelligence reported that one wallet under the control of liquidator s has seen a string of "significant losses " due to liquidations, some of which were "preventable losses ." Over the past two weeks being under Liquidator control, the account incurred significant losses: Largest single liquidation: $4.85M Total liquidated amount: $11.5M Preventable losses: $4M+ — Arkham (@ArkhamIntel) January 16, 2023 As one example, Arkham noted that the account ending 0x997 initially had a short position of 9,000 Ether (ETH) ($10.8 million) against the collateral of $20 million in USD Coin (USDC) and $4 million in Dai (DAI), with a net balance of $15.2 million when the li...

Alameda wallets funnel over $1.7M via crypto mixers overnight

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Data negates the possibility of liquidators behind the fund transfers due to the use of mixing tools and extensive planning to hide transaction paths. 30 cryptocurrency wallets linked to Alameda Research, the bankrupt sister company of crypto exchange FTX, became active on Dec. 28 following four weeks of inactivity. These wallets swapped and mixed over $1.7 million worth of crypto assets through various crypto-mixing services. Crypto mixers are often used by market exploiters and criminals to obscure the transaction path so that the funds cannot be traced to the original source. As Cointelegraph reported on Dec. 28, the sudden movement of funds from Alameda wallets just days after Sam Bankman Fried was released on bail raised suspicions across the crypto community. Nearly 24 hours later, it seems the culprit behind these fund transfers used extensive planning to hide transaction routes. According to data shared by the crypto forensic group Arkham, the first transfer of funds began ...

Is The Crypto Bear Market Finally Coming To An End?

Like birds of the same feather, well-established firms from the crypto space have collapsed one after the other this year. FTX’s downfall last month took the entire space by surprise. Evidently, the arrest of the exchange’s founder Sam Bankman-Fried was cheered by the people from the industry. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Tron founder Justin Sun acknowledged the same. Opining on the how the ongoing sluggish phase is perhaps coming to an end, Sun said, “I believe, first of all, the fall of FTX probably marks the end of the crypto bearish market. I believe this is the last bad news we have.” Even though the landscape seems to be comparatively less wobbly now, it should be noted that the domino effect is still on. As reported earlier during the day, US-based publicly traded Bitcoin mining company Core Scientific is one of the latest firms to file for for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas. tRON g>Read More: Bitcoin Mining Firm Core Scien...