Cointime

Download App
iOS & Android

Sam Bankman-Fried Apologizes for FTX Liquidity Crisis: ‘I Fucked Up Twice’

Cointime Official

In one of his first public statements since rumors and concerns about FTX’s insolvency flooded the crypto market, CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF, has said: “I’m sorry.”

1) I'm sorry. That's the biggest thing.

I fucked up, and should have done better.

2) I also should have been communicating more very recently.

Transparently--my hands were tied during the duration of the possible Binance deal; I wasn't particularly allowed to say much publicly. But of course it's on me that we ended up there in the first place.

3) So here's an update on where things are.

[THIS IS ALL ABOUT FTX INTERNATIONAL, THE NON-US EXCHANGE. FTX US USERS ARE FINE!]

[TREAT ALL OF THESE NUMBERS AS ROUGH. THERE ARE APPROXIMATIONS HERE.]

4) FTX International currently has a total market value of assets/collateral higher than client deposits (moves with prices!).

But that's different from liquidity for delivery--as you can tell from the state of withdrawals. The liquidity varies widely, from very to very little.

5) The full story here is one I'm still fleshing out every detail of, but as a very high level, I fucked up twice.

The first time, a poor internal labeling of bank-related accounts meant that I was substantially off on my sense of users' margin. I thought it was way lower.

6) My sense before:

Leverage: 0x

USD liquidity ready to deliver: 24x average daily withdrawals

Actual:

Leverage: 1.7x

Liquidity: 0.8x Sunday's withdrawals

Because, of course, when it rains, it pours. We saw roughly $5b of withdrawals on Sunday--the largest by a huge margin.

7) And so I was off twice.

Which tells me a lot of things, both specifically and generally, that I was shit at.

And a third time, in not communicating enough. I should have said more. I'm sorry--I was slammed with things to do and didn't give updates to you all.

8) And so we are where we are. Which sucks, and that's on me.

I'm sorry.

9) Anyway: right now, my #1 priority--by far--is doing right by users.

And I'm going to do everything I can to do that. To take responsibility, and do what I can.

10) So, right now, we're spending the week doing everything we can to raise liquidity.

I can't make any promises about that. But I'm going to try. And give anything I have to if that will make it work.

11) There are a number of players who we are in talks with, LOIs, term sheets, etc.

We'll see how that ends up.

12) Every penny of that--and of the existing collateral--will go straight to users, unless or until we've done right by them.

After that, investors--old and new--and employees who have fought for what's right for their career, and who weren't responsible for any of the fuck ups.

13) Because at the end of the day, I was CEO, which means that *I* was responsible for making sure that things went well. *I*, ultimately, should have been on top of everything.

I clearly failed in that. I'm sorry.

14) So, what does this mean going forward?

I'm not sure--that depends on what happens over the next week.

But here are some things I know.

15) First, one way or another, Alameda Research is winding down trading.

They aren't doing any of the weird things that I see on Twitter--and nothing large at all. And one way or another, soon they won't be trading on FTX anymore.

16) Second, in any scenario in which FTX continues operating, its first priority will be radical transparency--transparency it probably always should have been giving.

Giving as close to on-chain transparency as it can: so that people know *exactly* what is happening on it.

17) All of the stakeholders would have a hard look at FTX governance. I will not be around if I'm not wanted.

All of the stakeholders--investors, regulators, users--would have a large part to play in how it would be run.

18) But all of that isn't what matters right now--what matters right now is trying to do right by customers. That's it.

19) A few other assorted comments:

This was about FTX International. FTX US, the US based exchange that accepts Americans, was not financially impacted by this shitshow.

It's 100% liquid. Every user could fully withdraw (modulo gas fees etc).

Updates on its future coming.

20) At some point I might have more to say about a particular sparring partner, so to speak.

But you know, glass houses. So for now, all I'll say is:

well played; you won.

21) NOT ADVICE, OF ANY KIND, IN ANY WAY

I WAS NOT VERY CAREFUL WITH MY WORDS HERE, AND DO NOT MEAN ANY OF THEM IN A TECHNICAL OR LEGAL SENSE; I MAY WELL HAVE NOT DESCRIBED THINGS RIGHT though I'm trying to be transparent. I'M NOT A GOOD DEV AND PROBABLY MISDESCRIBED SOMETHING.

22) And, finally:

I sincerely apologize.

SBF
Comments

All Comments

Recommended for you

  • Trump Threatens to Destroy Iranian Power Plants if Strait of Hormuz Not Opened

    March 20 - Trump stated that if Iran does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the United States will strike and destroy multiple Iranian power plants, starting with the largest one. (Jins10)

  • ETH Drops Below $2100

    Market data shows that ETH has fallen below $2100, currently trading at $2095.44. It has experienced a 24-hour decline of 2.47%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please manage your risk accordingly.

  • BTC Drops Below $69,000

    Market data shows that BTC has fallen below $69,000, currently trading at $68,955. The cryptocurrency has seen a 2.31% decrease in the past 24 hours. The market is experiencing significant volatility, and investors are advised to implement risk control measures.

  • BTC Drops Below $70,000

    Market data shows that BTC has fallen below $70,000, currently trading at $69,988.17. It has experienced a 0.74% decrease in the past 24 hours. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please manage your risk accordingly.

  • Golden Morning News | Key Overnight Developments on March 22

    9:00 PM - 7:00 AM Keywords: Iran, US Dollar, Strait of Hormuz 1. BofA: Maintains a medium-term bearish view on the US Dollar. 2. Israeli Defense Minister states that strikes against Iran will intensify in the coming week. 3. Iranian Armed Forces announce significant actions being taken in the Strait of Hormuz. 4. US media reports that Trump's team is developing strategies for potential peace talks with Iran. 5. Analysts: US SEC's cryptocurrency guidance marks the "end of an era" for Gensler. 6. British media: Over 20 countries declare readiness to contribute to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. 7. Cryptocurrency companies lay off hundreds of employees within weeks, attributing it to a weak market and powerful AI.

  • US Media: Trump Team Strategizing for Potential Iran Peace Talks

    According to the website AXIOS, a US official and an informed source revealed that after three weeks of war, the Trump administration has begun preliminary discussions on the next phase and the possible form of peace negotiations with Iran. US President Trump stated on Friday that he is considering a "phased end" to the war, but US officials indicated that the fighting is expected to continue for another two to three weeks. Meanwhile, Trump's advisors hope to begin preparing for diplomatic mediation. Sources revealed that Trump's envoys Kushner and Wittcoff are participating in discussions regarding potential diplomatic avenues. Any agreement to end the war must include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, addressing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, and reaching a long-term agreement on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and support for regional proxies. Other sources also revealed that although Egypt, Qatar, and the UK have all conveyed messages between the US and Iran, there have been no direct contacts between the US and Iran in recent days. Egypt and Qatar have informed the US and Israel that Iran is interested in negotiations, but the conditions are very tough, with Iran's demands including a ceasefire, guarantees against future wars, and reparations.

  • BTC Surges Past $71,000

    Market data shows that BTC has broken through $71,000, currently trading at $71,007.92. It has seen a 1.93% increase in the last 24 hours. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please manage your risk accordingly.

  • Golden Evening News | Key Developments on March 21st

    12:00-21:00 Keywords: Coinbase, Iran, OpenAI, James Wynn 1. Citigroup: Bitcoin could reach $165,000 this year. 2. Iranian Foreign Minister states the pursuit of a complete end to the war, not a temporary ceasefire. 3. OpenAI plans to nearly double its workforce to 8,000 employees by the end of the year. 4. James Wynn returns to HyperLiquid, shorting Bitcoin with 40x leverage. 5. Tim Cook responds to OpenClaw driving Mac Mini sales: Neural Engine added ten years ago. 6. Coinbase's asset management arm launches tokenized shares of a Bitcoin fund, accelerating its asset tokenization strategy.

  • Polymarket to Announce Major News Next Monday, Potentially Related to Token Launch or Funding

    March 21st news: A member of the official Polymarket team, Mustafa, posted on X stating that major news will be announced next Monday. Due to the inclusion of a coin emoji in the tweet, the community speculates that the significant news may be related to funding or a token launch. Previously, it was reported that prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket were in discussions with potential investors for a new round of financing, with both targeting valuations of approximately $20 billion. Kalshi has recently completed a new round of financing exceeding $1 billion, reaching a valuation of $22 billion, doubling its valuation from the previous round in December last year, which was $11 billion. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that this round of financing was led by Coatue Management, and Kalshi's current annualized revenue is $1.5 billion.

  • Midday Briefing | Key Updates for March 21

    7:00 AM - 12:00 PM Keywords: Zedxion, Gold, Galaxy Digital, US SEC 1. UK Proposes Revoking License for Crypto Exchange Zedxion for Allegedly Facilitating Funding for Iran. 2. Gold Records Largest Weekly Drop in 43 Years. 3. Sources: Trump Administration Developing Plan to Seize Iranian Nuclear Material Reserves. 4. CryptoQuant Analyst: Galaxy Digital Suspected of Selling Approximately 700 BTC. 5. Galaxy Head of Research: New SEC Rules Reshape Digital Asset Regulation, Providing Clear Secondary Market Channels. 6. Claude Code Launches Cloud-Based Scheduled Tasks: Automates PR reviews, dependency upgrades, no local execution needed. 7. World Team Suspected of Conducting OTC Trade with an Entity, Sending 117 Million WLD.