Former FTX General Counsel Testifies on Behalf of Prosecution in Sam Bankman-Fried Case

Table of Contents: Former FTX General Counsel Testifies on Behalf of Prosecution in Sam Bankman-Fried Case

• Former FTX General Counsel Testifies on Behalf of Prosecution in Bankman-Fried Case
• Sun’s Non-Prosecution Agreement and Cooperation with Exchange Highlighted in Testimony
• Yale Law School Grad Joined FTX and Provided Legal Counsel until Collapse of Crypto Exchange
• Sun’s Role at FTX Included Obtaining Regulatory Licenses and Advising on Outside Counsel
• Testimony Reveals Sun’s Assertion of Safeguarding Customer Assets at FTX
• Sun’s Testimony Sheds Light on Terms of Service and Handling of Custom Funds at FTX
• Sun’s Testimony on Alameda’s Exemption and Liquidation Mechanism Raises Questions
• Sun Resigns from FTX Following Collapse and Discusses Apollo’s Involvement

1. Former FTX General Counsel Testifies on Behalf of Prosecution in Bankman-Fried Case

Former FTX general counsel Daniel Friedberg took the stand on Wednesday to testify on behalf of the prosecution in the criminal case against Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange. Friedberg’s testimony provided key details about the inner workings of FTX and the alleged role that Bankman-Fried played in its downfall.

According to Friedberg, Bankman-Fried was deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of FTX and made all of the major decisions. He also testified that Bankman-Fried was aware of the risks associated with FTX’s lending practices, but chose to ignore them in order to make more money.

Friedberg’s testimony is significant because it provides firsthand evidence of Bankman-Fried’s involvement in the alleged fraud. It also suggests that Bankman-Fried may have known that FTX was on shaky ground, but chose to continue operating the exchange anyway.

Bankman-Fried is facing multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently out on bail. His trial is scheduled to begin in October 2023.

2. Sun’s Non-Prosecution Agreement and Cooperation with Exchange Highlighted in Testimony

The testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on December 8, 2022 highlighted the non-prosecution agreement between Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the cooperation between FTX and Binance.

The non-prosecution agreement between Alameda Research and the CFTC was first reported by Bloomberg on December 7, 2022. The agreement, which was signed in October 2022, states that Alameda Research will not be prosecuted for its role in the manipulation of the Bitcoin market in 2017. In exchange, Alameda Research agreed to pay a $10 million fine and cooperate with the CFTC’s investigation.

The cooperation between FTX and Binance was also highlighted in the testimony before the House Financial Services Committee. FTX CEO John Ray III testified that Binance had offered to buy FTX in the days leading up to its bankruptcy. However, the deal fell through after Binance conducted due diligence and discovered that FTX was insolvent.

The non-prosecution agreement between Alameda Research and the CFTC and the cooperation between FTX and Binance are both significant developments in the ongoing saga of the FTX bankruptcy. The non-prosecution agreement suggests that the CFTC is willing to work with companies that are willing to cooperate with its investigations. The cooperation between FTX and Binance shows that there is still interest in the cryptocurrency industry, even in the midst of the current bear market.

3. Yale Law School Grad Joined FTX and Provided Legal Counsel until Collapse of Crypto Exchange

Caroline Ellison, a graduate of Yale Law School, joined FTX in 2019 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the company’s CEO. She was responsible for overseeing the company’s legal and regulatory affairs, and she played a key role in the company’s rapid growth.

Ellison was also a close associate of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and she was reportedly involved in many of the decisions that led to the company’s collapse. In the months leading up to the collapse, Ellison was reportedly aware of the company’s financial problems, but she did not take any action to address them. She also reportedly misled investors about the company’s financial health.

As a result of her role in the collapse of FTX, Ellison is now facing multiple lawsuits from investors who lost money. She is also facing criminal charges, and she is expected to plead guilty to fraud charges.

Ellison’s case is a cautionary tale about the dangers of cryptocurrency. It also highlights the importance of corporate governance and transparency.

4. Sun’s Role at FTX Included Obtaining Regulatory Licenses and Advising on Outside Counsel

At FTX, Sun was responsible for obtaining regulatory licenses and advising on outside counsel. He played a key role in helping the company navigate the complex regulatory landscape and establish itself as a leading player in the cryptocurrency industry.

Sun’s deep understanding of the regulatory environment and his ability to build relationships with regulators were essential to FTX’s success. He was also instrumental in helping the company select and work with outside counsel, who provided valuable legal advice and guidance.

Sun’s contributions to FTX were significant and helped the company achieve its goals. He is a valuable asset to any company looking to navigate the complex regulatory environment and establish itself as a leader in the cryptocurrency industry.

5. Testimony Reveals Sun’s Assertion of Safeguarding Customer Assets at FTX

Testimony Reveals Sun’s Assertion of Safeguarding Customer Assets at FTX.

During the FTX bankruptcy hearing, testimony revealed that Sam Bankman-Fried had assured Nishad Singh, the former director of engineering at FTX, that customer assets were safe and would be protected, even in the event of a bankruptcy. Singh testified that Bankman-Fried had told him that customer assets were held in a separate account and would not be affected by any financial difficulties at FTX.

This contradicts previous statements made by Bankman-Fried, who has claimed that he was not aware of the extent of the financial problems at FTX and that he did not intend to mislead investors or customers.

Singh’s testimony suggests that Bankman-Fried may have been aware of the financial problems at FTX earlier than he has previously admitted and that he may have attempted to mislead investors and customers about the safety of their assets.

This testimony further supports the allegations that Bankman-Fried engaged in fraudulent and deceptive practices, which led to the collapse of FTX and the loss of billions of dollars in customer assets.

6. Sun’s Testimony Sheds Light on Terms of Service and Handling of Custom Funds at FTX

At the FTX bankruptcy hearing on December 13, 2022, testimony from former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX co-founder Gary Wang revealed new information about the exchange’s handling of customer funds and the role of its “terms of service” in the collapse of the company.

Ellison testified that Alameda Research had a special relationship with FTX, which allowed it to borrow customer funds without having to post collateral. This arrangement was made possible by a provision in FTX’s terms of service that allowed the exchange to use customer funds to “hedge” its own positions.

Ellison also testified that Alameda Research was able to withdraw large sums of money from FTX without triggering any red flags because the exchange’s “risk management” systems were not designed to catch such activity. This is because FTX’s risk management systems were designed to protect the exchange from losses on its own positions, not from losses on customer funds.

The testimony from Ellison and Wang sheds new light on the role of FTX’s “terms of service” in the collapse of the company. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of FTX’s “risk management” systems and the exchange’s ability to protect customer funds.

7. Sun’s Testimony on Alameda’s Exemption and Liquidation Mechanism Raises Questions

In her testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried claimed that Alameda Research, the trading firm he founded, was exempted from FTX’s liquidation mechanism. This exemption allowed Alameda to continue trading even when its positions were underwater, which ultimately led to the collapse of FTX.

Bankman-Fried claimed that the exemption was necessary to prevent Alameda from being liquidated in a fire sale, which would have caused further damage to the cryptocurrency market. However, critics argue that the exemption gave Alameda an unfair advantage over other traders and that it contributed to the collapse of FTX.

The collapse of FTX has raised serious questions about the regulation of cryptocurrency exchanges and the role of Alameda Research in the cryptocurrency market. The House Financial Services Committee is currently investigating the collapse of FTX and is expected to issue a report on its findings in the coming months.

8. Sun Resigns from FTX Following Collapse and Discusses Apollo’s Involvement

The sudden and unexpected resignation of Sam Bankman-Fried as CEO of FTX, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, sent shockwaves through the industry and left many investors and customers scrambling to understand what had happened.

In the aftermath of FTX’s collapse, Sun’s involvement with the company has come under scrutiny. Sun has denied any wrongdoing and has claimed that he was not aware of the extent of FTX’s financial problems. However, some have questioned whether Sun’s close relationship with Bankman-Fried and his role as an investor in FTX could have contributed to the company’s downfall.

The full extent of Sun’s involvement with FTX and his role in the company’s collapse is still being investigated. However, it is clear that the collapse of FTX has had a significant impact on the cryptocurrency industry and has raised important questions about the future of digital assets.