The FTX estate recently concluded the sale of heavily discounted Solana (SOL) tokens to Pantera Capital and Figure Markets in an effort to reimburse creditors and former clients. The sale involved tokens valued at $2.6 billion, with each token being sold at $102, significantly lower than the current market price of $168. Figure Markets purchased 800,000 SOL tokens, while Pantera Capital acquired the remaining lot. Additionally, a four-year vesting schedule was established for the tokens to prevent potential market disruptions.
Despite the estate’s efforts to recover assets, criticisms have emerged regarding the decision to sell assets at such deep discounts. A creditor, Sunil Kavuri, expressed dissatisfaction with the sale, arguing that the digital assets should have been returned directly to the creditors and clients instead of being sold cheaply. Kavuri criticized the estate’s bankruptcy lawyers, Sullivan & Cromwell, for allegedly neglecting property rights and selling off assets, such as Solana tokens, at significant markdowns.
Following the FTX collapse, an independent investigation was ordered to assess the actions of Sullivan & Cromwell in the bankruptcy proceedings. The investigation ultimately cleared the lawyers of collusion with FTX, but criticisms persisted regarding asset sales. In a separate legal matter, former FTX executive Ryan Salame faces prosecution for campaign finance violations and operating an illegal money-transmitting business during his tenure. Prosecutors are seeking a substantial sentence for his offenses, which involve over $1 billion in unlicensed transactions.
In a related development, the UK government’s Charity Commission recently concluded an investigation into the Effective Ventures Foundation, an FTX-funded charity. The investigation found that the foundation acted promptly and diligently to protect its funds after FTX’s collapse. Effective Ventures disclosed its connections to FTX, prompting a regulatory probe, and subsequently repaid $4.3 million to the FTX estate to match the total amount received from FTX and its foundation in 2022.
Overall, the auctioning off of discounted Solana tokens by the FTX estate has raised various legal and ethical concerns. While the estate aimed to reimburse creditors and former clients, criticisms regarding asset sales and handling remain prevalent. The outcome of legal proceedings and investigations involving the bankruptcy and key individuals associated with FTX will likely shed more light on the complexities surrounding the case. Ultimately, transparency and accountability will be essential in addressing the fallout from the FTX collapse and its impacts on stakeholders.
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