FTX creditor group representative recommends voting against compensation plan

Quick Take

  • Sunil Kavuri, a representative of the largest FTX creditor group, has recommended voting against the bankrupt crypto exchange’s compensation plan.
  • The FTX estate said it plans to give 98% of its creditors at least 118% of allowed claims.

Sunil Kavuri, a representative of the largest FTX creditor group, has recommended voting against the bankrupt crypto exchange’s reorganization plan.

“Vote NO to the plan,” Kavuri posted on X early Wednesday.

Kavuri maintained his view that the estate should pay out cryptocurrencies in kind rather than the dollar value when the exchange filed for bankruptcy. He argued that the debtors owe FTX customers up to ten times more than the petition prices, claiming that they have “destroyed an estimated over $10 billion” in value for FTX creditors.

FTX's debtors have been criticized previously for their handling of the estate's assets. For instance, they sold a stake in Mysten Labs and token warrents for the Sui token for $96 million shortly before the token went live. These days, the tokens alone would be worth $935 million.

Kavuri made reference to the current lawsuit against the estate's law firm Sullivan and Cromwell over its ties to the exchange prior to its collapse. He claimed that the plan included an exculpation clause “so they and no one involved [can be] sued for misconduct.”

FTX’s reorganization plan

On Tuesday, the FTX estate said it plans to give 98% of its creditors at least 118% of allowed claims, with other creditors receiving full repayment and billions more in compensation for the time value of their investments. 

THE SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

“We are pleased to be in a position to propose a Chapter 11 plan that contemplates the return of 100% of bankruptcy claim amounts plus interest for non-governmental creditors,” FTX CEO John J. Ray III said in the release

FTX’s proposal intends for the repayments to occur within 60 days after the plan’s effective date. FTX estimated the total value of cash available for distribution to be between $14.5 billion and $16.3 billion, though the plan is still subject to court approval.

The bankrupt FTX exchange was mired in illegitimate behind-door operations by its executives, which led to a liquidity crisis and its ultimate collapse in November 2022. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty in November 2023 on all seven criminal counts of defrauding FTX customers and investors. Bankman-Fried received a prison sentence of nearly 25 years in March. 

Sullivan & Cromwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Block.


Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2023 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.

About Author

James Hunt is a reporter at The Block, based in the UK. As the writer behind The Daily newsletter, James also keeps you up to speed on the latest crypto news every weekday. Prior to joining The Block in 2022, James spent four years as a freelance writer in the industry, contributing to both publications and crypto project content. James’ coverage spans everything from Bitcoin and Ethereum to Layer 2 scaling solutions, avant-garde DeFi protocols, evolving DAO governance structures, trending NFTs and memecoins, regulatory landscapes, crypto company deals and the latest market updates. You can get in touch with James on Telegram or 𝕏 via @humanjets or email him at [email protected].

Editor

To contact the editor of this story:
Tim Copeland at
[email protected]