Here's what we've learned so far from SBF's criminal trial

Bankruptcy • October 11, 2023, 6:55AM EDT
UPDATED: October 11, 2023, 10:58PM EDT
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Quick Take

  • The Block Editor Zack Abrams shares insights from what he witnessed during the first week of SBF’s criminal trial.

Episode 89 of Season 5 of The Scoop was recorded with The Block's Frank Chaparro and The Block's Weekend Editor Zack Abrams.

Listen below, and subscribe to The Scoop on Youtube, Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please send feedback and revision requests to [email protected].

The Block's Weekend Editor Zack Abrams has been covering Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial live from the courtroom in New York.

In this episode, Abrams provides a first hand account of what he has witnessed and explains why he thinks SBF's case is more complicated than the general public seems to believe.

Zack's ongoing coverage of the trial can be found here.


OUTLINE:
00:00 Introduction
04:32 Fraud or Failure?
10:23 SBF’s Defense
11:39 Crux of the Case
16:27 Alameda’s Backdoor
19:24 Campaign Funding Violations
20:47 Caroline Ellison
26:56 Collateral Risk
28:34 Total Fraud?
32:54 Effective Altruism


© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

AUTHOR

Davis Quinton profile picture Davis Quinton

Davis Quinton is the Director of Podcasts at The Block and runs our flagship podcast called The Scoop, hosted by Frank Chaparro. Since joining The Block as an 'intern' in early 2022, he has worked closely with leaders across departments to translate The Block's written content into engaging multimedia formats. He holds a degree in Social Research & Public Policy from New York University in Abu Dhabi and is based in Sydney, Australia.

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AUTHOR

Frank Chaparro profile picture Frank Chaparro

Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].

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AUTHOR

Zack Abrams profile picture Zack Abrams

Zack Abrams is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Before coming to The Block, he was the Head Writer at Coinage, a Web3 media outlet covering the biggest stories in Web3. The story he co-reported on Do Kwon won a 2022 Best in Business Journalism award from SABEW. Other projects included a deep dive into SBF's defense based on exclusive documents and unveiling the identity of the hacker behind one of 2023's biggest crypto hacks — so far. He can be reached via X @zackdabrams or email, [email protected].

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Editor

To contact the editor of this story: Ryan Weeks at [email protected]

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