SBF Breaks Silence in Tucker Carlson Interview: Life in Prison, $93B Claim & Regrets

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried described his prison life as “sort of dystopian” in an interview with Tucker Carlson posted on X. Speaking from Brooklyn’s MDC, he said he is not in physical danger, adding that staff members “are trying to be helpful” within limitations.

Serving a 25-year sentence for fraud, Bankman-Fried also owes $11 billion in forfeiture, as ordered by the U.S. Justice Department. While behind bars, he spends time reading novels, playing chess, and working on his legal appeal, saying that the lack of meaningful activity is “soul-crushing.”

The FTX founder unexpectedly shares a unit with music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who he claims “has been kind” to him and others. Additionally, when asked if he had any money left, he answered with "basically no," but if there had been no intervention in FTX, it would have been $93B in assets today.

His fall from grace remains one of crypto’s darkest scandals, with investors losing over $3 billion when FTX collapsed in 2022. While Bankman-Fried insists he never intended harm, he acknowledged that “a lot of people feel really let down, and I am sorry about that.”

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David Sacks Criticizes Biden Administration’s Bitcoin Sales

Crypto czar David Sacks criticized the Biden administration for selling 195,000 BTC for $366 million, missing out on what would now be over $17 billion in value. He argued that the lack of a long-term strategy cost taxpayers billions. His comments come ahead of the White House crypto summit, where President Trump is expected to discuss a "Crypto Strategic Reserve."

Trump’s proposed strategic Bitcoin reserve would include BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, and ADA, though some question XRP and ADA’s inclusion. Sacks, who previously held crypto investments, confirmed he sold all holdings before joining the administration. Officials suggest the reserve may focus primarily on Bitcoin, with more details expected on Friday.

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Ethereum Developers Delay Pectra Upgrade After Test Failures

Ethereum developers postponed the Pectra upgrade after test runs on Holesky and Sepolia revealed configuration bugs. The delay was announced on March 6, with developers planning to create a temporary test network for further testing. Pectra is expected to improve Ethereum’s speed and wallet functionality, but developers need more data before moving forward.

One major issue was Holesky becoming inoperable, forcing developers to create a "shadow fork" for continued testing. Some community members worry that Ethereum’s delays are making it harder to compete with Solana. Developers expect Holesky to be restored by March 28, after which a new Pectra upgrade date will be set.

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Argentine Prosecutor Seeks to Freeze $100M in LIBRA Funds

Argentine prosecutor Eduardo Taiano has requested the freezing of $100M in crypto assets linked to the LIBRA token sale. The request follows accusations that LIBRA was a pump-and-dump scheme, with insiders cashing out before the token’s $4.5B market cap collapsed. Authorities are also seeking recovery from deleted X posts, including a tweet from President Javier Milei, who allegedly promoted the token.

The investigation has expanded to include international exchanges and regulators, as officials aim to prevent further movement of funds. Crypto entrepreneur Hayden Davis admitted to holding a significant portion of the assets, fueling concerns of insider manipulation. Meanwhile, Milei has distanced himself from the project, denying involvement in any fraudulent activities.

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Data of the Day

Solana’s DEX trading volumes remain close to Ethereum’s, even after memecoin-related losses, according to a March 5 VanEck report. In February, Solana’s DEX volume hit 43% of the total market, briefly surpassing Ethereum’s. By March, its share dropped to 30%, but it still holds a strong position in decentralized trading.

The LIBRA collapse and other memecoin scandals led to an 80% drop in trading on PumpFun since January. Despite this, Raydium, Solana’s largest exchange, still holds over $1.3 billion in TVL. Analysts say memecoins fueled growth, but Solana’s DEX ecosystem remains competitive.

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More Breaking News

• Russian crypto exchange Garantex suspended services after Tether blocked wallets holding over $28M, days after the EU imposed sanctions.
• Japan’s ruling party proposed slashing crypto capital gains taxes to 20% as part of broader reforms classifying digital assets separately from securities.
• Sam Altman’s World project added crypto payments and chat features, in order to connect 11M verified users with integrated financial transactions.
• Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko opposed a US crypto reserve despite SOL’s inclusion, warning government control could undermine decentralization.
• Mt. Gox transferred over $1B worth of Bitcoin to an unmarked address, its largest move since January, as creditors await long-delayed repayments.
• World Liberty Financial announced plans to buy SUI for its strategic crypto reserve, sending the Solana rival’s token up 18%.
• Bitwise filed an S-1 registration for a spot Aptos ETF, adding to its push for altcoin-based funds following its previous Dogecoin and XRP filings.

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