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UNCHAINED: Why These Lawyers Say It's Over for SBF--But His Only Hail Mary Is to Testify Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Attorneys Samson Enzer and Greg Strong say Caroline Ellison’s testimony against Sam Bankman-Fried was damning. They agree one thing could turn it around: SBF’s own testimony. However, that runs the risk of increasing his sentence.

Samson Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, and Greg Strong, partner at DLX Law, dissect the second week of the criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried. At this point, the prosecution’s star witness, former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, has testified, as well as another prominent insider, co-founder Gary Wang. But both Enzer and Strong believe that it’s already over for the defense, but agree that the only thing that could turn it around is testimony from SBF himself—but that runs the risk of the defendant significantly increasing his sentence.

Find out how they thought the more salacious details of Ellison’s testimony, concerning alleged bribes to Chinese government officials, would affect the jury, and why Enzer believes introducing that testimony may have been risky for the government.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights |

Whether the prosecution gave the defense any fodder for its failed entrepreneur theory
How SBF and Ellison’s romantic relationship could affect the jury’s deliberations
The jury’s reaction to Ellison saying SBF’s belief was that “don’t lie, don’t steal” didn’t fit into his philosophy of utilitarianism
Why the defense didn’t object to the mention of alleged bribes to Chinese government officials the first time
Why the defense attorney complain about photos shown of SBF and his hair
How the jury might react to the testimony involving alleged Chinese government bribes, Thai prostitutes, and Saudi prince
How Ellison crying in her testimony could affect the jury
Why the defense didn’t ask Ellison about not hedging
Why the cross-examination of Gary Wang of was limited in its success for the defense
What caused a moment of tension between Zac Prince and the defense
Why Greg and Sam think SBF shouldn’t testify, but believe it’s his only, very risky, chance
If convicted, how many years do they think SBF’s prison sentence will be?

Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com | LayerZero | Popcorn Network

Guests |

Sam Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel.

Previous appearances on Unchained:

SBF Trial: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Might Try and Win His Case

SBF’s Lawyers Could Be Annoying the Judge. How Might That Impact the Trial? - Unchained Crypto

Greg Strong, partner at DLx Law

Links |

Previous coverage by Unchained on the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried:

How Heated Sidebars During the SBF Trial Could Impact the Jury’s Decision

SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insiders, Big Names in Crypto, and SBF’s Family

SBF Trial, Day 2: DOJ Says Sam Bankman-Fried ‘Lied’ While Defense Claims His Actions Were ‘Reasonable’

SBF Trial, Day 3: Why a True Believer in FTX Flipped Once He Learned One Fact

SBF Trial, Day 4: SBF’s Lawyers Annoy Judge Kaplan, While Wang Reveals Alameda’s Special Privileges

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Here's Everything That Happened So Far

SBF Trial, Day 5: SBF's Defense Finally Found Its Legs, But Can It Counter Caroline Ellison?

SBF Trial, Day 6: Caroline Ellison Recalls 'The Worst Week of My Life'

SBF Trial, Day 7: In SBF Trial, Did the Defense Lose Its Opportunity With the Star Witness?

SBF Trial, Day 8: Former BlockFi CEO Adds Credibility to Fraud Charges

SBF’s Lawyers Could Be Annoying the Judge. How Might That Impact the Trial?

Did Sam Bankman-Fried Have Intent to Defraud FTX Investors?

Here’s How Sam Bankman-Fried’s High-Stakes Trial Could Play Out

SBF Trial: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Might Try and Win His Case

The High-Stakes Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried Begins: What to Expect

Go deeper into the trial |

Unchained:

In the SBF Case, Elite Corruption Is What’s Really on Trial

Cooperating Witnesses in the SBF Trial May Get Little to No Prison Time

Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SBF TRIAL PODCAST 10/17: Why FTX Executive Nishad Singh Felt ‘Suicidal’ in Crypto Exchange’s Final Days Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

Nishad Singh, the former head of engineering at FTX, testified that a September 2022 meeting with Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, revealed the extent of Alameda's use of FTX user deposits, leaving a substantial hole in the balance sheets of both companies and prompting Singh's feeling of betrayal. Singh's testimony provided strong evidence to prosecutors that Bankman-Fried played a pivotal role in FTX's alleged crimes, emphasizing Singh's role as both a co-conspirator and a victim in the unfolding saga.

Link to story: Former Top FTX Executive Testifies He Knew $8B of Customer Money Was Missing

Credits: Marc Hochstein, Nikhilesh De, Sam Kessler and Wondercraft AI Voice

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MARKETS DAILY: Crypto Update | Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Would Help the Crypto Market Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

Noelle Acheson, the mind behind the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter, explores the U.S. consumer, bitcoin ETFs and more.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group.

Today’s Stories:

Bitcoin Jumps to $30K, Then Dumps, as False Spot ETF Approval Report Circulates

From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and

ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the

hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a

transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not

intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not

permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of

actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures

or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GEN C: Restaurants, Loyalty and Getting $FLY With Ben Leventhal, Founder and CEO of Blackbird Labs Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Nobody understands restaurants like Ben Leventhal. From starting Eater and Resy to his new venture, Blackbird, Ben discusses bringing restaurants on-chain and building loyalty.

Today's episode is sponsored by Chainalysis.

In this episode of the podcast, Avery and Sam chop it up with Ben Leventhal from Blackbird Labs. Ben has been a successful entrepreneur having started Eater, acquired by Vox, and Resy, acquired by Amex, and is now using NFTs and loyalty rewards on-chain to connect restaurants with their best customers with his new venture, Blackbird Labs.

Links mentioned from the podcast:

Sam Ewen, Avery Akkineni, CoinDesk, Vayner3

From our sponsor:

Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.chainalysis.com.

"Gen C" features hosts Sam Ewen and Avery Akkineni, with editing by Jonas Huck. Executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced by Uyen Truong. Our theme music is "1882” by omgkirby x Channel Tres with editing by Doc Blust. Artwork by Nicole Marie Rincon.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MARKETS DAILY: Crypto Update | Bitcoin Spikes on False BlackRock Spot Bitcoin ETF Approval Rumor Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Noelle Acheson, the mind behind the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter, explores consumer expectations, spot bitcoin ETFs, signals from Asia, Ethereum fees and more.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group.

Today’s Stories:

Bitcoin Spot ETFs Approval Partially Priced In, Coinbase Says

SEC Won’t Appeal Loss in Grayscale Case, Boosting the Odds GBTC Can Become a Bitcoin ETF

IntoTheBlock Report

Ethereum's New Low-Fee Regime May Put Its 'Ultra Sound Money' Thesis to Test

From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and

ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the

hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a

transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not

intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not

permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of

actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures

or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SBF TRIAL PODCAST 10/16: As Week 3 Begins, What Did FTX’s Terms of Service Say About Customer Funds? Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

As the trial progresses into its second phase, defense attorney Mark Cohen's cross-examination of witnesses like BlockFi CEO Zac Prince has so far failed to substantially undermine the prosecution's case against Sam Bankman-Fried. The defense continues to argue that FTX's terms of service, specifically regarding customer funds and obligations, may not support the misappropriation claims, but the prosecution maintains that misappropriation occurred when Bankman-Fried breached a fiduciary duty and made material misrepresentations, suggesting that the defense's argument may not fully address the allegations.

Link to story: Crypto Lender BlockFi Believed Alameda Was Solvent Given Balance Sheet It Was Shown, CEO Testifies

Credits: Marc Hochstein, Nikhilesh De and Wondercraft AI Voice

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MARKETS DAILY: Featured Story | Crypto Should Ghost the SBF Trial Oct 15, 2023

Show notes

It’s a distraction for the industry when the focus should be on passing enabling legislation, says Katherine Snow, head of legal at Messari.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group.

Today’s featured story is an opinion piece from Katherine Snow, titled: “Crypto Should Ghost the SBF Trial.”

From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and

ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the

hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a

transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not

intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not

permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of

actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures

or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MONEY REIMAGINED: Current Affairs | Analyzing Israel-Gaza Conflicts, Crypto's Dual Nature, and the Intriguing World of Crypto Celebrities Oct 14, 2023

Show notes

A breakdown into the most pressing global issues, shedding light on everything from international conflicts and crypto's implications to the dynamics of celebrity culture and the moral responsibility of our digital age.

This episode is sponsored by PayPal

In this episode of "Money Reimagined" Michael Casey and Sheila Warren offer an inspection of the pressing issues of our time, from the ongoing turmoil in Israel and the controversial nexus of crypto in terrorism to the alluring realm of crypto celebrity culture, offering their perspectives and expressing their frustration with those who choose to ignore these pressing issues. They discuss the role of crypto in terrorism and how the industry is responding. Warren passionately advocates for diverting funds away from terrorists and emphasizes the need for the crypto industry to unite against illicit activities. The discussion shifts its focus to privacy and surveillance concerns, prompted by a recent hacking incident, and delves into the pervasive skepticism surrounding the crypto industry, in part due to the ongoing SBF trial.

LINKS:

Israeli Crypto Firms Scramble to Deal With War, in Between the Sirens

Chinese Bribes, Saudi Investors and Thai Prostitutes: Caroline Ellison Gives SBF Trial’s Most Shocking Testimony Yet

Star Witness Caroline Ellison Says Sam Bankman-Fried Directed Her to Commit Fraud

Sheilas Article :

Crypto Risks Another Sam Bankman-Fried if U.S. Doesn't Provide Clear Regulation

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Money Reimagined has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “The News Tonight ” by Shimmer.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MARKETS DAILY: CoinDesk Market Index Week in Review Oct 14, 2023

Show notes

CoinDesk Indices presents six notable market movement highlights from last week.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group.

The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) functions as a benchmark for the performance of the digital asset market, delivering institutional quality information to digital asset investors. For more on the CMI you can visit: http://coindeskmarkets.com/

From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and

ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the

hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a

transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not

intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not

permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of

actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures

or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UNCHAINED: How Heated Sidebars During the SBF Trial Could Impact the Jury’s Decision Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, discusses why Caroline Ellison’s testimony has been the most critical in the case so far, why sidebars in the courtroom can get heated, and whether SBF might testify as a final Hail Mary for the defense.

The second week of Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial is underway, bringing emotional testimony from SBF’s ex-girlfriend and former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison, along with some surprising stories about alleged bribes to Chinese officials and discussion about reaching out to the Saudi Crown Prince for help. Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, discusses why the question of who was actually in charge is so critical to the case, the defense’s strategy to discredit Caroline Ellison, and why sidebars in the courtroom can get so heated.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights:

Why Caroline Ellison is a critical witness on a "number of levels," according to Ari
What a software developer at FTX revealed about whether SBF was directing trades
Why a lawyer’s body language is something the jury looks out for
Why there have been so many sidebars in the trial and why they can sometimes get heated
The reason why the lawyers, particularly the defense team, have been so repetitive with their questions
Considering the long prison sentence SBF is facing, why Ari "doesn't understand" SBF’s decision to push forward with the trial
Whether, after three days of testimonies, Ellison has come out as a credible witness for the jury
Why the defense is facing an "uphill fight" and whether testimony from SBF would serve as a final Hail Mary for them

Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com | Hedera | Popcorn Network

Guest | Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs.

Previous appearances on Unchained:

Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says Yes

The Legal and Regulatory Fallout From Terra’s Collapse: Who Will Pay?

How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?

Links |

Previous coverage by Unchained on the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried:

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Here's Everything That Happened So Far

SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insiders, Big Names in Crypto, and SBF’s Family

SBF Trial, Day 2: DOJ Says Sam Bankman-Fried ‘Lied’ While Defense Claims His Actions Were ‘Reasonable’

SBF Trial, Day 3: Why a True Believer in FTX Flipped Once He Learned One Fact

SBF Trial, Day 4: SBF’s Lawyers Annoy Judge Kaplan, While Wang Reveals Alameda’s Special Privileges

SBF Trial, Day 5: SBF's Defense Finally Found Its Legs, But Can It Counter Caroline Ellison?

SBF Trial, Day 6: Caroline Ellison Recalls 'The Worst Week of My Life'

SBF’s Lawyers Could Be Annoying the Judge. How Might That Impact the Trial?

Did Sam Bankman-Fried Have Intent to Defraud FTX Investors?

Here’s How Sam Bankman-Fried’s High-Stakes Trial Could Play Out

SBF Trial: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Might Try and Win His Case

The High-Stakes Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried Begins: What to Expect

Go deeper into the trial:

In the SBF Case, Elite Corruption Is What’s Really on Trial

Cooperating Witnesses in the SBF Trial May Get Little to No Prison Time

Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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