Activity tagged "FTX"

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Guilty or coerced? Ryan Salame’s last interviews before prison

Molly White and Ryan Salame talking via video call

Unpacking my conversation with FTX executive Ryan Salame, where we discussed his claims that he’s innocent of the charges for which he’s now serving seven and a half years in prison.

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Caroline Ellison: A woman with agency or a helpless pawn?

A black and white photo of Caroline Ellison, with a larger B&W photo of Sam Bankman-Fried looming behind her, both superimposed atop stormclouds

Why did the former Alameda Research CEO receive only two years imprisonment for her role in the FTX collapse?

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his what now?

'Keep Your Head Down': SBF's Prison Advisor Offers Advice for Caroline Ellison There are steps that former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison can take to make prison a better experience, consultants told Decrypt. André Beganski

“People have called me a prison concierge”

the mega-wealthy truly live in a different universe

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Issue 67 – Bug out bitcoin

A sheet of lined paper with a “bug out” list, and a photo of a rucksack hanging from a tree branch

Crypto resurfaces on the campaign trail and the FTX fallout continues to unfold. Also, merch!

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Issue 66 – Pretensions to relevance

A collage of a Stratios ship from Eve Online, the Flappy Bird bird, and Hamster Kombot tokens

FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried says he wants a do-over, and some more ill-received blockchain games suggest “GameFi” has an uncertain future.

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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has just appealed his conviction. He argues, among other things, that the judge didn't like him.

These observations are borne out by the record. As explained in this brief, many of the judge’s rulings were not just erroneous but unbalanced—repeatedly putting a thumb on the scale to help the government and thwart the defense. But that is not all. The judge continually ridiculed Bankman-Fried during trial, repeatedly criticized his demeanor, and signaled his disbelief of Bankman-Fried’s testimony. See supra at 17-18. Equally troubling, he repeatedly mocked defense counsel and discredited their cross-examinations in front of the jury. E.g., A-756 (“let’s stop that, please”; “What part of ‘let’s stop that’ was obscure?”); A-745 (“Could we get to the point.”); A-879 (“This is not an exam for new eyeglasses. I assume he can read it just as well as everybody in the jury box can read it…You can ask him who Johnny Podres was. Let’s move along. He pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers.”).

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69143697/28/united-states-of-america-v-bankman-fried/

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FTX executive Caroline Ellison is seeking a sentence of time served for her guilty plea on seven charges pertaining to the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange. Her sentencing submission paints her as someone whose “moral compass [was] warped” by Sam Bankman-Fried.

The probation department is also recommending time served, with three years of supervised release. Like Sam Bankman-Fried, she’s hit the maximum of 43 points on the sentencing guidelines, which would equate to a life sentence.

Exhibits include more of her diary entries to support the story that she was deeply unhappy and self-medicating with Adderall, and desperate for Sam Bankman-Fried’s approval and affection.

“I think a good night’s sleep is probably equivalent in productivity to about 7.5mg adderall, with a much nicer side effect profile”

Sentencing memo, exhibits

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Issue 65 – World Liberty Fiasco

Even the most pro-Trump crypto faithful think Trump’s new crypto scheme is a terrible idea. Also, an FTX crypto executive earns some benefit of the doubt, and a lawsuit accuses “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli of disrespecting the Wu-Tang Clan.

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I get the sense that Judge Kaplan didn’t appreciate Ryan Salame’s recent take-backsies of his petition to have his conviction vacated or the investigation of his partner dismissed. “Notwithstanding defendant’s purported withdrawal without prejudice of his petition”, Kaplan intends to hear arguments on it.

ORDER
LEWIS A. KAPLAN, District Judge.
Notwithstanding defendant's purported withdrawal without prejudice of his petition for a writ of error coram nobis or alternatively a writ of audita querula, the parties shall file the papers contemplated by the Court's order of August 21, 2024 on the schedule there set forth. Counsel shall appear for argument on September 12, 2024 as scheduled. Defendant's presence is required and his compliance with this requirement hereby is made a condition of his continued release on bail pending voluntary surrender.
SO ORDERED.
Dated: August 29, 2024
Lewis A. Kaplan United States District Judge

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66631292/485/united-states-v-bankman-fried/

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Ryan Salame has withdrawn his petition from a week ago, in which he claimed the government had reneged on a promise not to continue their campaign finance investigation into his partner, Michelle Bond.

Bond was indicted on August 22 on campaign finance charges in connection to her unsuccessful 2022 campaign for a House seat in New York. Salame says he's withdrawing his petition now that the indictment has come down "to allow the facts to be developed by Ms. Bond, and a ruling to be made, in her case".

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