Bitcoin exchange withdrawals sink to 7-month low as users forget FTX

Bitcoin (BTC) exchange users have forgotten all about the FTX scandal this Christmas, data shows. According to on-chain analytics firm Glassnode, exchange outflows have now hit their lowest levels in over six months. Still not your keys, still not your coins? As Bitcoin volatility sets a new record low in what is being called “Do Nothing December,” exchange users’ habits are also rapidly adjusting to the current climate. After seeing an overwhelming surge in light of the FTX meltdown, BTC withdrawals from exchange wallets have entirely reversed the spike which…

‘I Take Payment in Bitcoin’; Big Short Investor Says Audits of Exchanges like Binance and FTX Are ‘Meaningless,’ and More — Week in Review – The Weekly Bitcoin News

Ahead of the holidays and new year, the former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor known to the world as a staunch privacy advocate and whistleblower, Edward Snowden, has offered to step up as the new CEO of Twitter after current “Chief Twit” Elon Musk has said he is stepping down. In other news from this week, hedge fund manager Michael Burry — of “The Big Short” fame — said that audits of cryptocurrency exchanges like FTX and Binance are “meaningless.” Get caught up on these hot stories and much…

FTX paid $12M retainer to a New York law firm before bankruptcy filing

Defunct crypto exchange FTX paid a retainer of $12 million to bankruptcy lawyers as security for payment of its fees and expenses amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, shows a court filing dated Dec. 21. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (S&C), a law firm headquartered in New York City, received $12 million from West Realm Shires Services Inc. on behalf of FTX for legal services. In addition, the filing confirmed that over the past 90 days, i.e., since Aug. 26, 2022, FTX paid nearly $3.5 million to S&C. Snippet of the court…

Caroline Ellison’s Testimony Claims FTX Boss SBF Directed Her to Co-Mingle Customer Funds Since 2019 – Bitcoin News

On Dec. 23, 2022, Matthew Russell Lee from the Inner City Press published the recently unsealed guilty plea transcript of Caroline Ellison, Alameda Research’s former CEO. In her statements, Ellison describes that she was the co-CEO and CEO of Alameda, and under those roles, she reported directly to the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). The ex-Alameda CEO’s testimony details that she was fully aware from 2019 to 2022, that Alameda Research had access to a special borrowing facility that allowed the company to maintain an unlimited line of credit…

Former Alameda CEO confirms firm borrowed billions from FTX customer deposits as part of plea deal

Caroline Ellison, the former chief executive officer of Alameda Research, said as part of her plea deal that she was aware FTX funds had been made available for the venture capital firm’s investments. In a transcript of proceedings for her plea deal in the Southern District of New York released on Dec. 23, Ellison acknowledged the financial ties between FTX and Alameda at the center of prosecutors’ case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. According to the former Alameda CEO, Alameda had access to a “borrowing facility” through FTX from…

FTX Attempts to Freeze Robinhood Shares as Creditors Swarm to Scoop $450M in HOOD Stock – Bitcoin News

Court filings show that debtors from FTX Trading Ltd. and Alameda Research want 56 million shares of Robinhood stock frozen after multiple creditors are seeking access to the funds, and also Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). Court Filing Wants to ‘Enforce an Automatic Stay’ Against Claims Over FTX’s 56 Million Robinhood Shares On Dec. 22, 2022, court documents show that debtors from FTX want to freeze 56 million Robinhood shares owned by a subsidiary crafted by SBF called Emergent Fidelity Technologies. The debtors from FTX and Alameda have said that multiple entities…

FTX Token Jumps 65% As SBF Returns Home, Can FTT Hold The Gains?

FTX Token (FTT) saw massive gains on Thursday as news of former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried making bail spread across the space. The rapid uptick in the price of the token showed the positivity, albeit brief, that had spread across investors in the token. However, as the dust settles on the disgraced founder, the question now becomes whether the digital asset can hold the gains from yesterday. FTT Jumps 65%  On Thursday, Bankman-Fried’s parents had put their home up to raise money for the $250 million bond put on the former…

FTX asks bankruptcy judge to stop BlockFi from claiming Robinhood shares

Embattled crypto exchange FTX asked for the assistance of a United States bankruptcy judge to prevent crypto lending firm BlockFi from claiming around $450 million worth of Robinhood shares purchased by its former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.  On Nov. 28, BlockFi filed a lawsuit demanding Emergent Fidelity Technologies, Bankman-Fried’s holding company, to turn over 56 million Robinhood Markets shares. The stocks were allegedly put up as collateral for BlockFi’s loans to crypto trading firm Alameda Research. Both FTX and Alameda filed for bankruptcy before settling the BlockFi loans. However, FTX argued…

Collapse of FTX Can Bring SEC Closer to Banning Cryptocurrencies

The US SEC has already launched its first attack declaring that FTX’s native cryptocurrency FTT token was a security. The dramatic collapse of the crypto exchange FTX last month has sent shockwaves across the entire crypto industry. Millions of FTX users have lost their hard-earned money while trading with FTX. The situation with FTX has pushed the SEC to gather enough legal ammunition which might lead to the consideration of banning digital assets and other centralized crypto exchanges. Earlier this week on Wednesday, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)…