This is your FTX on trial podcast and in the courtroom on Day 14: Sam Bankman-freed testified in his own defense.
On October 27, 2023, Sam Bankman-freed took the stand in his own defense at his criminal trial in New York City. He is facing eight charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance violations, for his alleged role in the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.
Bankman-freed testified that he believed he was acting legally when he transferred customer funds from FTX to his trading firm, Alameda Research. He said that he thought the two companies were essentially one entity, and that the transfers were allowed under the company's terms of service.
Bankman-freed also denied that he had intentionally misled investors or customers about the financial health of FTX. He said that he was "shocked" when the company collapsed in November 2022, and that he had believed that it was solvent up until the very end.
Prosecutors are expected to cross-examine Bankman-freed on Friday, October 28. The trial is expected to last several more weeks.

Bankman-freed claims he thought 'borrowing' of FTX user funds was allowed under company's terms of service. During his testimony on Thursday, Bankman-freed said that he believed that Alameda Research's "borrowing" of FTX user funds was permitted under the company's terms of service. However, prosecutors have pointed out that the company's terms of service specifically prohibited Alameda from borrowing customer funds without their consent.
Financial services consultant Joseph Pembley testified that FTX was "insolvent" in the weeks leading up to its collapse. Pembley testified that FTX had a negative net asset value of billions of dollars in October 2022. He also said that Bankman-freed had refused to take steps to address the company's financial problems, even after being warned by advisors.

Bankman-freed's testimony is a key moment in the trial. If he is able to convince the jury that he believed he was acting legally, it could help him avoid a conviction. However, if prosecutors are able to show that he deliberately misled investors or customers, it could strengthen their case.
The testimony of financial services consultant Joseph Pembley is also significant. It provides further evidence that FTX was in serious financial trouble in the weeks leading up to its collapse. This contradicts Bankman-freed's claim that he was unaware of the company's financial problems.
The trial is expected to continue for several more weeks. It will be interesting to see how the jury responds to Bankman-freed's testimony and the other evidence that has been presented.
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