The ongoing trial of FTX founder Sam "SBF" Bankman-Fried continues to garner attention within the cryptocurrency industry.
During the criminal trial of SBF on 12 October 2023, former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison pointed to a tweet from Binance CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao as a contributing factor to the failure of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
FTX's Bankruptcy
In the tweet dated 6 November 2022, CZ announced the liquidation of Binance's holdings of FTX Token (FTT) in response to recent revelations.
On 7 November 2022, CZ tweeted and explained that his reason to liquidate FTT was a "Post-exit risk management".
CZ Challenges the Tweet's Impact
CZ responded to allegations that his tweet led to the downfall of FTX during a 6 December thread.
He contended that a healthy business cannot be ruined by a single tweet, highlighting former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison's social media activity on 6 November, suggesting that Alameda's proposal to purchase Binance's FTT holdings was the primary catalyst for the token sell-off.
Former Alameda CEO's Caroline Ellison's Statement
Ellison, testifying in SBF's trial, stated that the tweet triggered a series of events leading to FTX's collapse, with retail investors following Binance's lead and withdrawing funds, causing a run on the platform and eventual bankruptcy filing on 11 November.
However, she highlighted Alameda's borrowing of $10 billion from FTX as the primary reason behind the exchange's collapse, emphasising the inability to repay the debt.
Ellison's testimony also shed light on Bankman-Fried's alleged political ambitions and his involvement in manipulating Alameda's finances for potential investors.
Her cross-examination focused on Bankman-Fried's awareness of Alameda's operations, with certain claims of his knowledge deemed ambiguous by the prosecution.
The trial, which began on 3 October, is expected to continue through November, with Bankman-Fried facing multiple charges.
Another trial in March 2024 will entail additional charges.