FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas after U.S. files criminal charges

Bahamian authorities have arrested Sam Bankman-Fried after U.S. law enforcement filed charges against the former crypto billionaire.

Bahamas Attorney General Ryan Pinder said that the United States had filed unspecified criminal charges against Bankman-Fried and was “likely to request his extradition.”

In a statement, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said “The Bahamas and the United States have a shared interest in holding accountable all individuals associated with FTX who may have betrayed the public trust and broken the law. While the United States is pursuing criminal charges against SBF individually, The Bahamas will continue its own regulatory and criminal investigations into the collapse of FTX, with the continued cooperation of its law enforcement and regulatory partners in the United States and elsewhere.”

Bankman-Fried was expected to testify before the House Financial Services Committee tomorrow. His arrest is the first concrete move by regulators to hold individuals accountable for the multi-billion dollar implosion of FTX last month.

Last month, FTX and its affiliates filed for bankruptcy and Bankman-Fried stepped down from his role as CEO.

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