This is the FTX on Trial podcast, and this is your update for MOnday, October 23rd.
Sam Bankman-freed, the co-founder and former CEO of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is on trial in federal court in Manhattan on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. He is accused of misappropriating billions of dollars in customer funds to prop up his own businesses and investments. Bankman-freed has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Caroline Ellison's testimony: Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, a hedge fund that Bankman-freed founded, testified against him in early October. She admitted to knowingly misappropriating customer funds from FTX to prop up Alameda. She also said that she and Bankman-freed engaged in a "fraudulent scheme" to manipulate the price of cryptocurrency FTT.
Defense's arguments: Bankman-freed's defense team has argued that he did not knowingly commit fraud. They have said that he was inexperienced and made mistakes, but that he always intended to do what was right for his customers. They have also argued that the government's case is based on "speculation" and "conjecture."
Judge's warning: Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is presiding over the trial, has warned both sides to do better in their questioning of witnesses. He has said that he is "concerned" about the level of "disrespect" that has been shown in the courtroom.
Recent Developments
Jury instructions: On October 20, the prosecution and defense submitted their proposed jury instructions to Judge Kaplan. The jury instructions are important because they tell the jury what the law is and how to apply it to the facts of the case.
Trial schedule: The trial is scheduled to resume on October 26. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case on that day. The defense will then present its case. The trial is expected to last several weeks.
The Sam Bankman-freed trial is closely watched by the cryptocurrency industry and by the public at large. The outcome of the trial could have a significant impact on the future of cryptocurrency regulation.
Here are some additional details about the trial that have been reported in the news:
On October 20, prosecutors compared one of the defense's arguments to a scene in the 1994 film "Dumb and Dumber." The defense had argued that IOUs are as good as money. Prosecutors said that this argument was "absurd" and that it showed that the defense was "desperate."
On October 20, Judge Kaplan ripped into lawyers from both sides, telling them to do better and to communicate more with each other. He said that he was "concerned" about the level of "disrespect" that had been shown in the courtroom.
On October 21, the trial was paused for a week due to a scheduling conflict. The trial will resume on October 26.
The next major event in the trial will be the prosecution resting its case. This is expected to happen on October 26. The defense will then present its case. The trial is expected to last several weeks.
Thank you for listening and make sure you check out the Google on Trial podcast which provides updates on the news and events surrounding the United States versus Google antitrust trial.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI