5 highlights of Sam Bankman-Fried’s first day of trial

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October 4, 2023October 4, 2023By Glitched
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5 highlights of Sam Bankman-Fried’s first day of trial

The high-profile trial of former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried kicked off on Oct. 3 with loads of exercise each inside and outdoors of the cramped Manhattan courtroom.

Journalists, crypto influencers and different gawkers reportedly gathered in a media overflow room to take notes on the day’s occasions. Listed here are a few of the most colourful observations in regards to the day.

Noticeably leaner, signature haircut gone

The defendant, Bankman-Fried, appeared noticeably leaner, in keeping with a number of stories.

Flanked by 5 protection attorneys, he was wearing a navy go well with that appeared larger on him in earlier appearances, and his signature unkempt curly locks had been subbed for a shorter coiffure.

Unchained Crypto’s Laura Shin famous that Bankman-Fried was noticeably “much less jittery than regular.”

“I didn’t see him shake his leg in any respect,” she stated in an Oct. 3 podcast.

The one time he spoke was to say “sure” to the decide and sometimes take a look at the jurors. Different instances, he conferred along with his attorneys or was seen typing and scrolling on his air-gapped laptop computer.

SBF has spent the previous seven weeks or so locked up at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Middle. When his attorneys unsuccessfully argued for his launch, they claimed that he was subsisting on “bread and water” and missing vegan meal choices.

Crypto influencer Tiffany Fong stated, “He form of appears extra prison now.”

Journalists, influencers and skeptics come to “crypto promenade”

The primary day of the trial was described as feeling like “the primary day of faculty,” in keeping with some journalists in attendance.

“I’ve by no means seen the courthouse like this,” remarked an unnamed member of the press, in keeping with The Slate.

“Whereas ready to entry the media overflow room, I noticed virtually anybody and everybody who’s had one thing to say about decentralized foreign money over the previous few years,” stated The Slates’ Nitish Pahwa.

He described it as a “crypto promenade” full of a hodgepodge of paid media members, crypto influencers, obsessives, skeptics and extra.

Cointelegraph reporter Ana Paula Pereira can be in attendance and can give each day updates on the most important developments all through the trial.

Jurors get whittled down, and a few share unhappy crypto tales

Choose Lewis B. Kaplan instructed the burgeoning crowd of potential jurors: “You’re to do no analysis. You aren’t to learn press protection”; nonetheless, he lightened up when it got here to questioning the gang, reported Cointelegraph.

Potential jurors had been requested if that they had prior information about FTX and Alameda, with one saying they discovered about it from The Joe Rogan Expertise podcast, in accordance to a partial transcript from Internal Metropolis Press.

One juror stated they labored with an organization that invested in (and misplaced cash on) FTX and Alameda. One other potential juror stated:

“I invested in crypto. I misplaced cash.”

One juror shared that he wasn’t positive if he could possibly be unbiased with crypto: “I’ve felt negatively about it since I discovered about it.” He was later dismissed from the pool of potential jurors.

One other juror even requested the decide whether or not a loss of life sentence could possibly be imposed for Bankman-Fried, to which the decide answered:

“We’ll get to it in a minute or two, and my reply must suffice. Anybody unwilling to simply accept that punishment is as much as the court docket? Nobody.”

On the finish of the session, Choose Kaplan stated, “We now have a ample group of certified jurors, 50.” He added that 18 individuals shall be chosen in complete, 12 of whom shall be jurors with six alternates.

He added that on the subsequent day (Oct. 4), a microphone shall be handed round for every juror to talk for a minute. “Then the attorneys will confer, and the ultimate choice shall be made,” he concluded.

Witnesses for the prosecution

An assistant U.S. lawyer learn out a listing of potential witnesses for the prosecution. This included some anticipated names, similar to former firm executives Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Ryne Miller and Constance Wang; relations Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried; and even Anthony Scaramucci.

A number of establishments had been additionally listed, together with Jane Avenue Capital, Sequoia Capital, BlockFi, Genesis, the Ontario Academics’ Pension Plan, Binance, Nexo, Guarding In opposition to Pandemics (the nonprofit of SBF’s brother) and Voyager Digital.

Six-week trial anticipated

Choose Kaplan stated that the trial was anticipated to take about six weeks, however he additionally famous that it could possibly be over in a a lot shorter time.

Associated: What has Sam Bankman-Fried been as much as in jail?

Nevertheless, by the top of the day, he had not succeeded in finalizing the jury. Kaplan predicted that this might be accomplished by the morning of Oct. 4, after which either side are anticipated to present opening arguments totaling round 90 minutes.

Journal: Are you able to belief crypto exchanges after the collapse of FTX?