FTX was a leading cryptocurrency exchange that went bankrupt in November 2022 amid allegations that its owners had embezzled and misused customer funds. Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of the exchange, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to repay $11 billion. The catalyst was a Nov. 2 scoop by crypto news site CoinDesk revealing that the majority of assets held by Alameda Research, a quantitative trading firm and sister company also run by Bankman-Fried, consisted of FTT and other tokens invented and controlled by FTX and its insiders, rather than a fiat currency or cryptocurrency with market-driven and time-tested value. Scores of investors and customers pulled their funds out of FTX, forcing the exchange to become insolvent and declare bankruptcy. The revelations prompted concern across the cryptocurrency industry that FTX was overly leveraged with Alameda Research, relied on precarious financial accounting metrics, and faced associated financial management risks. Questions How was the fraud done? Describe the fraud and how it should have been prevented, particularly since it was done at the top of management. What was the role of the internal and external auditors in the fraud? As a forensic accountant, how would you have found the fraud? What is the role of technology in this fraud? Would regulation of this industry help? How?
FTX was a leading cryptocurrency exchange that went bankrupt in November 2022 amid allegations that its owners had embezzled and misused customer funds. Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of the exchange, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to repay $11 billion.
The catalyst was a Nov. 2 scoop by crypto news site CoinDesk revealing that the majority of assets held by Alameda Research, a quantitative trading firm and sister company also run by Bankman-Fried, consisted of FTT and other tokens invented and controlled by FTX and its insiders, rather than a fiat currency or cryptocurrency with market-driven and time-tested value.
Scores of investors and customers pulled their funds out of FTX, forcing the exchange to become insolvent and declare bankruptcy. The revelations prompted concern across the cryptocurrency industry that FTX was overly leveraged with Alameda Research, relied on precarious financial accounting metrics, and faced associated financial management risks.
Questions
- How was the fraud done? Describe the fraud and how it should have been prevented, particularly since it was done at the top of management.
- What was the role of the internal and external auditors in the fraud?
- As a forensic accountant, how would you have found the fraud?
- What is the role of technology in this fraud?
- Would regulation of this industry help? How?
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