Prosecutors investigated FTX for months before collapse: Bloomberg

Quick Take

  • U.S. federal prosecutors had been looking at FTX months before the exchange became insolvent.
  • The probe focused on compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York was investigating FTX months before the crypto exchange filed for bankruptcy protection, Bloomberg reported.

Prosecutors were specifically looking into compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act, Bloomberg said, citing unnamed sources. The probe was aimed at cryptocurrency platforms with U.S. and offshore arms, including Sam Bankman-Fried's Bahamas-based firm, which also operated FTX US.

FTX is now facing additional investigations from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Department of Justice.

The House of Representatives' Financial Services Committee also said last week it will hold a hearing on the FTX implosion and its implications for the broader digital asset industry.


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Catarina is a reporter for The Block based in New York City. Before joining the team, she covered local news at Patch.com and at the New York Daily News. She started her career in Lisbon, Portugal, where she worked for publications such as Público and Sábado. She graduated from NYU with a MA in Journalism. Feel free to email any comments or tips to [email protected] or to reach out on Twitter (@catarinalsm).

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