Unchained: Big Ideas From The Worlds Of Blockchain And Cryptocurrency

Sam Enzer, a partner at the law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel, told Laura that compelling evidence from Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle had increased the difficulty for the fallen FTX CEO to convince a jury of his innocence. Former FTX head engineer Nishad Singh said that he became suicidal after understanding the full magnitude of FTX’s misuse of customer funds, while ex-chief legal counsel Can Sun helped show how SBF allegedly lied to lawyers.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: Sam (Enzer’s) thoughts on how the trial is going for the defense  what Nishad Singh's emotional testimony revealed about SBF how Singh felt "betrayed" by Bankman-Fried, who may have been a big brother figure to him why the defense went much harder after Singh in its defense than it did the other members of the inner circle whether the jury felt empathy with Singh about

On the 12th day of the SBF Trial, former FTX General Counsel Can Sun testified about a $7 billion deficit in customer funds. Sun, who was responsible for crafting FTX's terms of service, expressed shock at the deficit and revealed that Sam Bankman-Fried had asked him for legal justifications. Sun also mentioned that Nishad Singh, a key witness and former head of engineering at FTX, looked emotionally drained days before the company's collapse. Sun's testimony took a dramatic turn during a meeting with Bankman-Fried and others, where it was confirmed that FTX lacked sufficient funds to cover customer withdrawals. This meeting solidified Sun's suspicions that Alameda Research had misappropriated FTX customer deposits.  The day concluded with Robert Boroujerdi of Third Point stating that Bankman-Fried had omitted significant details that would have altered the firm’s decision to invest $60 million in the now failed crypto exchange. That investment is now worth zero. The trial will resume in a week, adding more s

The courtroom was abuzz on Wednesday as financial and technical experts took the stand in the ongoing criminal trial against Sam Bankman-Fried. Accounting professor Peter Easton, a standout witness, presented a detailed analysis showing that Alameda had spent customer funds on VC investments, real estate, and political and charitable donations. Easton, who had previously worked on high-profile cases like Enron and Worldcom, said that by the end, the gap between what FTX owed to customers and what it had on hand was $8.8 billion. The defense, led by attorney David Lisner, attempted to challenge Easton's methods. Lisner questioned the accounting of the fiat@ftx internal account, which tracks customer deposits. Easton admitted to lumping amounts owed to customers from FTX’s bank accounts with what was owed to customers from Alameda's bank accounts, giving the defense an opportunity to question his accuracy. The day also saw other witnesses, including a former FTX lobbyist and a Google employee, both of whose rel

On day 10 of the Sam Bankman-Fried trial, SBF’s defense team tried to discredit Nishad Singh, a key witness for the prosecution. Despite their efforts, Singh's testimony about FTX's financial mismanagement and Bankman-Fried's questionable ethics remained largely unchallenged. The defense's line of questioning focused on Singh's memory and inconsistencies in his statements, but prosecutors were quick to counter these points in their redirect. FBI Agent Richard Busick presented an analysis of Bankman-Fried's phone locations, revealing his connections to influential political figures like former U.S. President Bill Clinton and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.  Can this information impact the jury's perception of Bankman-Fried as the trial continues to unfold?  Catch up on Unchained’s previous coverage:  SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insiders, Big Names in Crypto, and SBF’s Family SBF Trial, Day 2: DOJ Says Sam Bankman-Fried ‘Lied’ While Defense Claims His Actions Were ‘Reasonable’ SBF Trial

The third week of the criminal trial against Sam Bankman-Fried began Monday. Nishad Singh, one of three key witnesses for the prosecution, testified about the alleged misuse of customer funds and a toxic work environment at FTX, created by Sam Bankman-Fried. Singh's account echoed earlier testimony by former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison and former FTX CTO Gary Wang and raised questions anew about the company's venture investments, excessive spending on sponsorships, and attempts to deceive regulators. Singh also described his growing concerns about Bankman-Fried's lavish spending, even as the company faced mounting financial difficulties.  Catch up on Unchained’s previous coverage:  SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insiders, Big Names in Crypto, and SBF’s Family SBF Trial, Day 2: DOJ Says Sam Bankman-Fried ‘Lied’ While Defense Claims His Actions Were ‘Reasonable’ SBF Trial, Day 3: Why a True Believer in FTX Flipped Once He Learned One Fact SBF Trial, Day 4: SBF’s Lawyers Annoy Judge Kaplan

Samson Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, and Greg Strong, partner at DLX Law, dissect the second week of the criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried. At this point, the prosecution’s star witness, former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, has testified, as well as another prominent insider, co-founder Gary Wang. Both Enzer and Strong believe that it’s already over for the defense, but agree that the only thing that could turn it around is testimony from SBF himself—but that runs the risk of the defendant significantly increasing his sentence.  Find out how they thought the more salacious details of Ellison’s testimony, concerning alleged bribes to Chinese government officials, would affect the jury, and why Enzer believes introducing that testimony may have been risky for the government.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: Whether the prosecut

On the eighth day of the SBF trial, former BlockFi CEO Zac Prince took the stand, serving as a strong witness for the defense, while offering a detailed look into how Alameda Research's borrowing from FTX differed from traditional crypto lending, and the impact of FTX’s and Alameda’s collapse on BlockFi, which subsequently filed for bankruptcy. The defense team tried to pin BlockFi’s loans to Alameda on BlockFi executives ignoring advice from its own credit team, but Prince twice corrected defense attorney Mark Cohen that, for the document in question, the executives did follow the advice of their credit team. The defense also tried to raise the notion that BlockFi would have declared bankruptcy no matter what had happened with FTX and Alameda, but Prince also held his ground that the collapse of SBF’s empire resulted in BlockFi’s own bankruptcy. Catch up on Unchained’s previous coverage:  Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Here’s Everything That Happened So Far SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insid

The second week of Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial is underway, bringing emotional testimony from SBF’s ex-girlfriend and former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison, along with some surprising stories about alleged bribes to Chinese officials and discussion about reaching out to the Saudi Crown Prince for help. Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, discusses why the question of who was actually in charge is so critical to the case, the defense’s strategy to discredit Caroline Ellison, and why sidebars in the courtroom can get so heated.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: Why Caroline Ellison is a critical witness on a "number of levels," according to Ari What a software developer at FTX revealed about whether SBF was directing trades Why a lawyer’s body language is something the jury looks out for  Why there have been so many sidebars in th

Day seven of Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial saw the defense team unable to discredit Caroline Ellison, despite multiple attempts. The defense's questions often seemed aimless, failing to draw any substantial conclusions. Ellison remained steadfast, revealing that SBF had plans to buy Telegram around the time Alameda "borrowed" $14 billion of FTX customer money. Defense attorney Mark Cohen tried to portray Ellison as the one in charge of Alameda, but she clarified that SBF was the ultimate decision-maker. Ellison also disclosed that she had considered resigning from Alameda but was persuaded by SBF to stay, emphasizing his control over the firm. The day continued with testimony from Christian Drappi, a former Alameda employee, who corroborated Ellison's account. Zac Prince, founder of the bankrupt crypto lending firm BlockFi, briefly took the stand, setting the stage for his testimony to continue the next day. Catch up on Unchained’s previous coverage:  Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Here’s Everything That H

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and chop it up about the latest news. This week, the crew is joined by Gabriel Shapiro, general counsel at Delphi Labs, to talk about the key points in the criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried and his lackluster defense strategy so far. They also delve into Michael Lewis’ book and his depictions of SBF’s “lore and backstory,” and discuss how SBF’s “quirks of character” may have actually enticed investors. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights:  How Haseeb's previous comments on Sam Bankman-Fried’s intentions "didn't age well" after developments in the trial Why Gabriel believes that SBF is a "sociopath" and should have taken a plea deal if offered Shortcomings in the defense’s strategy and why Gabriel believes they’re “grasping at straws” How the f

Day 6 of the SBF trial was marked by emotional testimony from Caroline Ellison, who shed tears as she detailed the financial chaos within Alameda and FTX. She also recounted dramatic incidents such as an alleged bribe by Alameda to a Chinese government official, creating accounts using the IDs of Thai prostitutes, and an attempt to raise money by selling FTX shares to a Saudi prince. Ellison discussed the financial turmoil that began with the crypto market crash and how it led to desperate actions, allegedly directed by SBF. She revealed the manipulation of balance sheets, the use of FTX customer funds for risky investments, and the ethical compromises made to keep Alameda afloat. The day also delved into the secretive culture within Alameda and FTX, highlighting the use of disappearing messages on Signal for sensitive discussions, and what was really happening behind the scenes as FTX began to implode.  Catch up on Unchained’s previous coverage:  Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Here’s Everything That Happened S

Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research and SBF's ex-partner, took the stand to reveal the alleged financial mismanagement at Alameda and FTX, which she claimed was at Bankman-Fried’s direction. The cross examination of Gary Wang finally began to show how SBF’s lawyers plan to defend him, though Wang largely appeared to be a yes man who simply trusted and followed his friend and co-founder. Ellison's revelations included Alameda's hidden trading of FTT to prop up its price, her warnings to SBF about Alameda’s inability to pay back its lenders if he put billions more into venture investments, and his views on risk and “expected value.” For instance, she claimed he said if, with a coin toss came up tails and would mean Earth’s destruction, he would toss the coin if there it was twice as likely that it would more than double prosperity on Earth. However, her testimony seemed designed to preemptively rebut the defense’s potential argument that Alameda needed to borrow customer funds because she had not

The first week of the criminal trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has come to a close, with his former friends and FTX colleagues Adam Yedidia and Gary Wang delivering powerful testimonies that are forming the foundations for the prosecution’s arguments — arguments that the defense may have a difficult time surmounting. Sam Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, and Brian Klein, partner at Waymaker, discuss Alameda’s special privileges coded into the FTX software, the reason why a scorched FTX customer may have been chosen as the first witness, and why upcoming key witnesses are going to be a “real problem” for the defense. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: What we learned about the prosecution and defenses strategies after the first week of the trial How the jury being mostly professionals may impact deliberations Why Brian believes someo

Laura reports on the testimony of Gary Wang on Thursday, who described Alameda’s special privileges that were programmed into FTX’s code as early as July 2019, a few months after the exchange launched.  These privileges included Alameda’s ability to have a negative balance on its FTX account. This meant that Alameda was able to transfer and withdraw more funds than it had, essentially “borrowing from the exchange.” Those funds, Wang said, belonged to FTX customers, and at the time that FTX declared bankruptcy, Alameda had borrowed $8 billion from the exchange.  Wang said Alameda had a $65 billion line of credit — far higher than any other customer on the exchange. He also revealed details about FTT, the cryptocurrency that FTX had created, and the concerns that were raised about how the tokens were allegedly used to boost Alameda’s balance on the site. If you need to catch up, don’t miss our recent coverage on the trial: SBF Trial, Day 3: Long-Time Friend Says, ‘FTX Defrauded All of Its Customers’ SBF Tr

The blockbuster trial of Sam Bankman-Fried wrapped up its third day, with multiple witnesses, including former FTX software developer Adam Yedidia, Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang, and FTX cofounder Gary Wang, taking the witness stand. Joshua Ashley Klayman, Senior Counsel, U.S. Head of FinTech and Head of Blockchain & Digital Assets at Linklaters, discusses the main takeaways from the trial so far, the surprising testimonies given by former close associates of SBF, and how the prosecution and defense plan to paint a picture of who SBF is to the jury. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: What Josh's biggest takeaways from the trial are so far Why Josh felt that the jury had “a lot to take in” in order to understand the basics of the case Whether the different backgrounds of the jury will affect the outcome of the trial Why the prosecution is arguing

Laura reports on the testimony of three witnesses on Thursday, including one who declared that “FTX defrauded all of its customers” and another stating that he had committed financial crimes at the direction of Sam Bankman-Fried.   Former FTX software developer Adam Yedidia, Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang, and FTX and Alameda co-founder Gary Wang filled in the details of different aspects of FTX and Alameda’s business. Huang’s testimony detailed how Paradigm expressed concern about FTX’s lack of corporate controls and how the company was “owned and controlled by Sam.” Wang has only started his testimony but has already said he implemented advantages for Alameda into FTX’s code at Bankman-Fried’s direction.  Yedidia’s account had the most emotional details, describing how he had a strong belief in the company, to the point where, when employees began leaving FTX, he had messaged Bankman-Fried that he loved him and wasn’t going anywhere, but that it flipped once he realized “FTX defrauded all of its customers.

Laura reports on the opening statements of the prosecution and defense, which painted a portrait of Sam Bankman-Fried as power-hungry and discussed how he allegedly managed to fumble customer funds.  Next witnesses are set to include Matt Huang, cofounder and managing partner at crypto VC firm Paradigm, and Gary Wang, former CTO of FTX.  Tune in to get the latest updates and insights on a case that could have far-reaching implications for the crypto industry. If you need to catch up, don’t miss our recent coverage on the trial: SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insiders, Big Names in Crypto, and SBF’s Family Here’s How Sam Bankman-Fried’s High-Stakes Trial Could Play Out SBF Trial: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Might Try and Win His Case The High-Stakes Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried Begins: What to Expect In the SBF Case, Elite Corruption Is What’s Really on Trial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest news. This week, they discuss the wildest claims in Michael Lewis’ new book on Sam Bankman-Fried, debate whether SBF’s effective altruism was ever genuine, and whether Ethereum should enshrine more features onto its protocol. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights:  Michael Lewis’ interview on “60 Minutes” and the wildest claims in his new book Whether SBF would have paid Donald Trump $5 billion not to run for president  Why Lewis characterizing FTX’s downfall as a bank run is misleading Whether FTX executives, in the moment of the collapse, fled to their parents’ homes Was SBF genuine in his belief in effective altruism or was it clever branding Whether we will still be talking about the SBF trial y

Laura reports on a noticeably composed Bankman-Fried and delves into the jury de-selection process, revealing potential jurors with surprising crypto ties. The government's stance on a plea deal is finally clarified, and a long list of potential witnesses from the crypto world is unveiled. Tune in to get the latest updates and insights on a case that could have far-reaching implications for the crypto industry. If you need to catch up, don’t miss our recent coverage on the trial: Here’s How Sam Bankman-Fried’s High-Stakes Trial Could Play Out SBF Trial: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Might Try and Win His Case The High-Stakes Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried Begins: What to Expect Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The high-stakes trial of Sam Bankman-Fried is set to begin on October 3, and the FTX founder and former CEO will have to answer for his role in the cryptocurrency exchange’s downfall, which led to billions in losses. Both the prosecution and defense are currently preparing for what is set to be a significant milestone for the crypto industry. Kayvan Sadeghi, partner at Jenner & Block and Sam Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, discuss the differences between a civil and criminal trial, what the jury selection process might look like, and what arguments the prosecution and defense might use to support their cases.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: The difference between a civil and criminal trial and why it's difficult for the defense to prepare while Sam Bankman-Fried is in jail Whether SBF was offered a plea deal and if so, why he didn't t