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

  • SEC and CFTC Update Crypto FAQs: Token Buybacks and Network Upgrades Not Necessarily Securities, CFTC Allows On-Chain Record Keeping

    On September 26, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporation Finance released an updated FAQ on September 25, clarifying that token buybacks, network upgrades, and marketing statements do not automatically make crypto assets securities. SEC staff noted that announcing a buyback plan for an operational crypto network does not, by itself, make the associated tokens investment contracts; however, if the network is not operational and the issuer promotes the buyback as a source of returns for holders, it may be a different case. The FAQ also clarified that services provided once a crypto system is operational, aimed at securing, maintaining, improving, or enhancing the system or its functions, or promoting network effects, do not constitute managerial efforts under the Howey test. Marketing existing uses of the network typically does not create profit expectations, and statements about future functionalities do not either, provided there is no promotion of profit potential. This update reiterates that conclusions will still heavily depend on specific cases and are based on the SEC's interpretative release regarding the applicability of securities laws to crypto assets issued in March this year. On the same day, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission updated its crypto FAQ, allowing futures firms and clearinghouses to invest customer funds in tokenized versions of previously permitted assets, provided they meet investment and custody requirements. CFTC staff also indicated that regulated companies may use blockchain for record keeping but must still be able to provide records if the blockchain or its block explorer is non-operational. These updates come as the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate, with regulators continuing to push forward with the crypto regulatory framework based on existing laws.

  • BTC Surpasses $84,000

    Market data shows that BTC has surpassed $84,000, currently priced at $84,004, with a 24-hour decline of 0.25%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • BTC Falls Below $84,000

    Market data shows that BTC has fallen below $84,000, currently priced at $83,988.06, with a 24-hour increase of 0.52%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • ETH Falls Below $2700

    Market data shows that ETH has fallen below $2700, currently priced at $2699.7, with a 24-hour increase of 1.95%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • BTC Surpasses $85,000

    Market data shows that BTC has surpassed $85,000, currently priced at $85,000.02, with a 24-hour increase of 1.72%. The market is highly volatile, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • ETH Surpasses $2700

    Market data shows that ETH has surpassed $2700, currently priced at $2700.14, with a 24-hour increase of 1.23%. The market is experiencing significant fluctuations, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • Yushu Technology's Wang Xingxing: Key to Breakthrough in Embodied Intelligence Lies in Solving Millimeter-Level Error Issues

    On September 25, the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo was held in Hangzhou, where Wang Xingxing, founder of Yushu Technology, delivered a keynote speech titled "From Machinery to Intelligence - The Evolutionary Theory of Embodied Future." Wang stated that the embodied intelligence industry may soon experience a critical breakthrough similar to that of ChatGPT. He believes that when robots can complete approximately 80% of tasks through voice interaction and embodied intelligence capabilities in about 80% of unfamiliar environments, the industry will enter a critical phase of large-scale application. He pointed out that the ability for robots to understand and execute specific tasks based on voice commands has already made breakthroughs last year, but the industry still faces a core technological bottleneck, namely the precise matching issue between artificial intelligence models and the real physical world. Wang noted that currently, robots still have a few millimeters of error during actual operations, which limits their stability and reliability in complex environments. "In the future, whoever can solve this problem will fundamentally resolve the issues with robots."

  • Swissquote Analyst Warns AI Narrative is a Core Pillar of US Stocks, Potential Break Could Trigger Significant Correction

    On September 25, Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, stated that broad market indices and retirement funds are now deeply tied to the AI wave, with technology stocks accounting for about 40% of the S&P 500 index. She pointed out that the market capitalization weight of just three chip manufacturers makes up over 25% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Ozkardeskaya indicated that AI has become the 'core pillar' of the market, and this pillar 'must not show any cracks.' She believes that, in the short term, the US stock market will continue to be supported by seasonal factors, and the current market uptrend may extend until the end of the year. However, she also warned that the worst-case scenario would be a shake in the investment logic surrounding AI, which could undermine market confidence in the AI narrative, potentially triggering a significant market correction.

  • U.S. Stock Index Futures Turn Positive; Chip Stocks Rally in After-Hours Trading

    On September 25, U.S. stock index futures rose into positive territory, with Nasdaq futures up 0.36%. In after-hours trading, storage and semiconductor stocks saw widespread gains, with AMD, Intel, and SanDisk all rising by 2%.

  • NEAR Partners with Ondo to Launch 20 Tokenized US Stocks and ETFs

    On September 25, according to Cryptonews, NEAR Protocol and Ondo Finance have launched trading for tokenized US stocks and ETFs on near.com, with an initial offering of 20 assets including Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, as well as SPY and QQQ. Eligible users can deposit using over 30 supported stablecoins or other crypto assets, with NEAR Intents serving as the cross-chain distribution layer, allowing similar assets to be routed to connected wallets and DeFi protocols in the future. Purchases are settled in USDon, which is backed 1:1 by US dollars in brokerage accounts, and completed via atomic swaps. This product is not available to US persons; the overall Ondo platform has launched over 100 assets, with NEAR initially offering only one-fifth of that.