FTX Customer Balances Are Equal to Hot Wallet Assets, but There Is an Additional $8 Billion in Liabilities
Gary Wang, co-founder of FTX, testified in the SBF trial that in November 2022, FTX's customer balance was equal to the assets held in the hot wallet, with one important exception: a hidden debt of $8 billion called "fiat@". As customers began withdrawing assets from FTX in November 2022, SBF asked Gary Wang to calculate how much money Alameda Research needed to deposit into the exchange to cover the outflow of funds.
Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison May Testify in SBF Trial Next Tuesday
Caroline Ellison, former CEO of hedge fund Alameda Research, is likely to be the next witness to testify in the SBF trial, replacing former FTX executive Gary Wang.After the trial ended on Friday morning, the US Department of Justice said that Wang's testimony would end on Tuesday, and prosecutors expect Ellison to be the next witness. Like Wang, Ellison also admitted to multiple fraud charges in December last year.The court will not be in session on Monday due to Columbus Day, and will resume on Tuesday at 9:30am Eastern Time.
The US Judge Expects the SBF Trial to End in Late November Before Thanksgiving
The newly released court trial calendar shows that Sam Bankman-Fried's trial is scheduled to begin on October 3, but actual court proceedings are expected to begin one day later.US Assistant Prosecutor Danielle Kudla said the Department of Justice estimates that the case will take four to five weeks.
Judge Allows SBF to Use Computers Without Internet Connection During Trial
September 28th, Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York approved SBF defense lawyer's request to allow SBF to use a notebook computer without internet connection for note-taking during the trial next month, but the notebook computer cannot be taken out of the courtroom.
An assistant lawyer will be assigned to bring the notebook computer to the courtroom every morning and retrieve it from SBF after the trial ends. The trial is scheduled to begin on October 3rd, and the judge also approved SBF to wear a suit in court.
U.S. Judge Allows Prosecution Lawyers in SBF Case to Show Evidence of Political Donations to Jury
September 27th, Judge Lewis Kaplan in the Manhattan area of the United States stated that the lawyer for the prosecution in the SBF case, founder of FTX, can discuss SBF's political donations in the upcoming trial because these donations are related to the fraud charges faced by SBF, according to Reuters.
Judge allows SBF lawyers to question DOJ witnesses about drug use
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York ruled that Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers can question witnesses from the Department of Justice about their use of recreational drugs during the fraud trial in October. Kaplan also denied the DOJ's motion to prevent the defense team from cross-examining witnesses on privilege issues and rejected the SBF team's motion to prevent any evidence related to the bankruptcy of a cryptocurrency exchange. The trial is set to begin on October 3.
SBF Lawyers Again Plead for His Provisional Release Pending Trial
The defense team of FTX founder SBF has once again requested his temporary release during the upcoming trial, citing difficulties in preparing a full defense under current restrictions. As explained in a letter to Judge Kaplan, SBF's knowledge and involvement are essential to reviewing the thousands of pages of discovery materials and financial records involved in this complex case. His lawyers argue that if he continues to be detained, their opportunities to consult with him outside of court will be severely limited, hindering their ability to effectively represent SBF.
Judge Bars Multiple SBF Proposed Witnesses From Testifying at October Trial
Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered on Thursday to prohibit several witnesses proposed by SBF from testifying in next month's trial, including British lawyer Lawrence Akka, President of consulting firm Tom Bishop & Associates LLC Thomas Bishop, Head of consulting firm Maxwell Consulting Joseph Pimbley, Director of consulting firm Guidepost Solutions Brian Kim, Law Professor Bradley Smith of Capital University Law School, Managing Director of consulting firm PVA Toucan International Peter Vinella, and Assistant Professor Andrew Di Wu of the University of Michigan Business School.
FTX Accuses SBF Mother Barbara Fried of Serving as Key Adviser for SBF Political Campaign Contributions
According to CNBC, FTX accused Barbara Fried, the mother of SBF, of being a key advisor for SBF and its allies' political campaign donations and a "key figure" in SBF's political donation strategy, encouraging SBF and those closely related to him to "evade federal campaign finance disclosure rules by participating in straw donations (grassroots donations) or other means to conceal FTX as the source of donations."
SBF Allowed Access to Laptop and Three Hard Drives Seven Days a Week
According to CoinDesk, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) stated in a letter on Tuesday that the incarcerated former CEO of FTX, SBF, can use a laptop and three hard drives containing defense materials seven days a week. SBF's defense team had previously argued that SBF "needed" to be released to prepare for his defense and informed Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is responsible for the case, that poor internet speed and battery life limited SBF's ability to prepare for the criminal trial next month.
