FTX Exchange Collapse and Bankruptcy

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FTX Exchange Collage

FTX Trading Ltd., once a major cryptocurrency exchange firm valued at around $40 billion, collapsed over a 10-day period in November 2022. The catalyst for its fall was a report by CoinDesk on November 2, which revealed that Alameda Research, a quantitative trading firm also run by Sam Bankman-Fried, held a $5 billion position in FTT, the native token of FTX. This disclosure raised concerns about undisclosed leverage and solvency across Bankman-Fried's companies. Sam Bankman-Fried, the former crypto billionaire at the center of this scandal, is now facing the largest-ever pretrial bond, set at $250 million.

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.

About FTX

"FTX Trading Ltd. was one of the largest cryptocurrency exchange firms, known for its specialty in buying and selling crypto derivatives, and once valued at about $40 billion"

"FTX’s collapse took place over a 10-day period in November 2022. The catalyst was a Nov. 2 scoop by crypto news site CoinDesk that revealed that Alameda Research, the quantitative trading firm also run by Bankman-Fried, held a position valued at $5 billion in FTT, the native token of FTX.

The report disclosed that Alameda’s investment foundation was also in FTT, the token that its sister company had invented, not a fiat currency or other cryptocurrency. That prompted concern across the cryptocurrency industry regarding Bankman-Fried’s companies’ undisclosed leverage and solvency."

"In addition to the $250 million package, which prosecutors called “the largest-ever pretrial bond,” the former crypto billionaire would also be required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, submit to mental health counseling and restrict himself travel within and between the Northern District of California and the Southern & Eastern Districts of New York.

Judge Gabriel Gorenstein said Bankman-Fried would require “strict” supervision following his release to his parents’ home in California.

His parents, both Stanford Law professors, were present in the courtroom. Bankman-Fried was flanked by two U.S. marshals, dressed in a blue suit and brown shoes. Bankman-Fried entered in ankle shackles as well, but traded them for his ankle monitor while in the courtroom."

"Bankman-Fried was the heart of “a fraud of epic proportions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos told the court. But he voluntarily returned to the United States, has no history of flight and has significantly reduced financial assets, Roos said.

Bankman-Fried had previously claimed that he was down to a mere $100,000, a steep fall from grace for a man who was once at the head of a $32 billion crypto empire."

"Bankman-Fried’s bail dwarfs other federal white-collar bonds. Bernie Madoff posted a $10 million bond while awaiting trial on his multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Jeff Skilling, former Enron CEO, posted a $5 million bond, while Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos founder, posted a scant $500,000."

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.

The background of the exchange platform, service, or individuals involved, as it would have been seen or understood at the time of the events.

Include:

• Known history of when and how the service was started.
• What problems does the company or service claim to solve?
• What marketing materials were used by the firm or business?
• Audits performed, and excerpts that may have been included.
• Business registration documents shown (fake or legitimate).
• How were people recruited to participate?
• Public warnings and announcements prior to the event.

Don't Include:

• Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
• Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.

There could be more than one section here. If the same platform is involved with multiple incidents, then it can be linked to a main article page.

The Reality

This sections is included if a case involved deception or information that was unknown at the time. Examples include:

• When the service was actually started (if different than the "official story").
• Who actually ran a service and their own personal history.
• How the service was structured behind the scenes. (For example, there was no "trading bot".)
• Details of what audits reported and how vulnerabilities were missed during auditing.

What Happened

The specific events of the loss and how it came about. What actually happened to cause the loss and some of the events leading up to it.

Key Event Timeline - FTX Exchange Collapse and Bankruptcy

Date	Event	Description
November 6th, 2022 11:00:00 AM MST	FTT Token Sale	Rival exchange Binance sells all FTT tokens.
November 7th, 2022	Bailout Sought	FTX announces liquidity crisis, seeks bailout from venture capitalists, then Binance.
November 8th, 2022	Binance Buy Out	Binance says it will buy FTX’s non-U.S. business.
November 9th, 2022	Binance Walks Away	Binance walks away from FTX acquisition after conducting due diligence.
November 10th, 2022	Bahamas Asset Freeze	The Bahamas freezes assets of FTX’s subsidiary there; Bankman-Fried admits non-U.S. businesses’ liquidity crisis, says affiliate Alameda Research to wind down.
November 11th, 2022	CEO Step Down	Bankman-Fried steps down as FTX CEO, is replaced by a court-appointed CEO with restructuring experience. FTX files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
November 12th, 2022	FTX Assets Hacked	FTX reports an alleged hack, suspected to be up to $477 million, and moves its digital assets to cold storage for security reasons.
November 18th, 2022	Bahamas Asset Control	The Bahamas takes control of FTX assets held there.
December 12th, 2022	Extradition	Bankman-Fried is arrested by Bahamian authorities. He’s later extradited to the U.S.
December 22nd, 2022	Bail Bond Release	Bankman-Fried is released on a $250 million bond, the largest in history, by a federal judge.
September 11th, 2023 5:00:06 PM MDT	Crypto Liquidation	Preparing for liquidation of assets held by FTX.

Technical Details

This section includes specific detailed technical analysis of any security breaches which happened. What specific software vulnerabilities contributed to the problem and how were they exploited?

Total Amount Lost

The total amount lost has been estimated at $8,000,000,000 USD.

How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?

Immediate Reactions

How did the various parties involved (firm, platform, management, and/or affected individual(s)) deal with the events? Were services shut down? Were announcements made? Were groups formed?

Ultimate Outcome

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former crypto billionaire at the center of this scandal, is now facing the largest-ever pretrial bond, set at $250 million. The conditions for his release include wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, undergoing mental health counseling, and restricting his travel to certain U.S. districts.

Bankman-Fried, who voluntarily returned to the U.S. and has significantly reduced financial assets, was described by prosecutors as the mastermind behind "a fraud of epic proportions." Despite once leading a $32 billion crypto empire, he claimed to have only $100,000 left. Comparatively, his bail amount far exceeds those set for other high-profile white-collar defendants like Bernie Madoff, Jeff Skilling, and Elizabeth Holmes.

Total Amount Recovered

The total amount recovered is unknown.

What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?

Ongoing Developments

What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?

Individual Prevention Policies

No specific policies for individual prevention have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as an individual, check our Prevention Policies for Individuals guide.

Platform Prevention Policies

Policies for platforms to take to prevent this situation have not yet been selected in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as a financial service, check our Prevention Policies for Platforms guide.

Regulatory Prevention Policies

No specific regulatory policies have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of regulatory policies that can prevent loss, check our Prevention Policies for Regulators guide.