Sam Bankman-Fried, 30, was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday. This was announced by the Attorney General responsible. Bankman-Fried is the founder of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX.
The move was a surprise. According to prosecutors, the US was arrested for filing a criminal case against the 30-year-old. It is possible that they want a refund.
denies fraud allegations
Bankman-Fried was due to testify before the US Congress on Tuesday. Instead, he opened up from his adopted country, the Bahamas.
Bakman-Fried founded and crashed the crypto exchange FTX. However, he denies any malicious intent. “I’ve never tried to scam anyone.” This is what the 30-year-old US entrepreneur said at a conference in New York a few days ago.
He was also connected from the Bahamas at that time. “I saw it as a thriving business and was shocked by what happened this month,” he explained.
“We totally failed”
In retrospect, he is ashamed. “We completely failed,” said Bankman-Fried, referring to the crypto company’s billions of dollars in risks.
FTX, one of the largest trading venues for cryptocurrencies, collapsed about three weeks ago after a massive outflow of funds in a matter of days. Billions of client funds could not be paid.
Bankman-Fried, often referred to as simply SBF in the crypto industry, announced his resignation on November 11 and filed for bankruptcy for the group in the US state of Delaware. (EU)