crypto exchange

FTX bankruptcy lawyers say they ‘do not trust’ Bahamas government

Dec 14 (Reuters) – Lawyers for the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX on Wednesday opposed a demand for internal records from an insolvent affiliate based in the Bahamas, saying they “do not trust” the Bahamian government with data that could be used to siphon off assets from the bankrupt company.

Liquidators of FTX’s Bahamian business, FTX Digital Markets, had asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Dorsey to give them access to the U.S. unit’s Slack, Google and Amazon Web Services accounts and data.

At a court hearing in Delaware, lawyers for FTX asked Dorsey to deny the request. They argued that Bahamian regulators had worked with FTX’s founder, the recently arrested Sam Bankman-Fried, to undermine the U.S. bankruptcy case and withdraw assets to the detriment of some creditors.

FTX attorney James Bromley told Dorsey that the Bahamian government has previously obtained information from FTX Digital Market’s liquidators and used it to siphon digital assets away from FTX.

“This is dangerous information,” Bromley said. “We do not trust the Bahamian government.”

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) has previously disputed FTX’s “misstatements” about the Bahamian government‘s response to FTX’s collapse.

Asked for comment on Wednesday, the SCB said it “is not

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Bankruptcy lawyers stand to benefit greatly from crypto turmoil – report

Lawyer is explaining about the wrongdoing laws regarding fraud to the client at the office.

wutwhanfoto/iStock via Getty Images

The cryptocurrency ecosystem has experienced a major downturn in the past year, sending the value of even the most prominent digital tokens plunging and triggering a slew of high-profile bankruptcies. On the flip side, law firms that council those struggling companies were said to have been raking in huge fees.

Bankruptcy lawyers, meanwhile, stand to gain from crypto exchange FTX’s recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which sent fresh shockwaves through the cryptoverse. Other noteworthy bankruptcies from earlier in 2022 included crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital and crypto lenders BlockFi, Voyager Digital (OTCPK:VYGVQ) and Celsius Network.

Generally, large law firms can collect over $100M in legal fees during a prolonged bankruptcy, Reuters reported Friday, citing experts.

For bankruptcy cases involving crypto-related firms, law firm Kirkland & Ellis is counseling BlockFi after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, and also represents Celsius and Voyager Digital (OTCPK:VYGVQ). The fees that Kirkland commands are some of the biggest rates in the industry, charging up to $1,995 per hour for work on the Celsius and Voyager cases, Reuters noted, citing court filings.

Previously, (Nov. 11) FTX’s Bankman-Fried resigned as CEO as crypto exchange starts Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

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