Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was found guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.
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Fast Facts
- The unanimous verdict followed 15 days of testimony and approximately four and a half hours of jury deliberation.
- Bankman-Fried’s sentencing hearing is set to take place on March 28, 2024. He faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison.
- An appeal could still be on the table, as Bankman-Fried’s lead attorney, Mark Cohen, said that his client respects the jury’s decision but maintains his innocence and will continue to “vigorously fight the charges.”
- “Let’s remember that he operated ‘the safe and regulated’ exchange, and not a single regulator caught him,” said Erik Voorhees, the founder and chief executive officer of crypto trading platform ShapteShift, on X (formerly Twitter), reacting to Thursday’s verdict. “It was, instead, the market, which is not only a great fountain of innovation, but also the best arbiter of discipline and justice.”
See related article: SBF examined over “cozy relationship” with Bahamian government in fraud trail