A crypto dealer and advertising govt who accurately predicted FTX’s collapse mentioned FTX creditor repayments coming a bit over two years after the incident is a “win” — all issues thought-about.
“I believed it might take longer, simply because there’s so many jurisdictional points, you are working with so many alternative governments, completely different ranges of enforcement, completely different ranges of compliance,” Ishan Bhaidani advised Cointelegraph’s Turner Wright in a Feb. 28 interview at ETHDenver in Denver, Colorado.
“You are working with the Bahamas, FTX is multinational… after which clearly the US and some huge cash from US buyers, so candidly, I believed it might take longer,” Bhaidani mentioned.
All issues thought-about, “I believe two years is sort of a win,” mentioned Bhaidani, one of many founders of crypto advertising agency SCRIB3.
The collapse of FTX is taken into account one of many biggest financial frauds in US historical past.
FTX illegally used buyer cash to fund investments at sister buying and selling agency Alameda Analysis. When market costs fell, it triggered a liquidity disaster, stopping prospects from with the ability to withdraw funds. The agency then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022.
FTX initiated its first round of reimbursements on Feb. 18, 2025, with the subsequent approaching Might 30. Collectors eligible within the second spherical might want to confirm their claims by April 11.
Beneath FTX’s restoration plan, 98% of collectors are expected to receive no less than 118% of their declare worth in money.
Ishan Bhaidani’s 20-part X publish on Oct. 5, 2022, accurately predicted that one thing “shady” was unfolding at FTX. Supply: Ishan Bhaidani
Bhaidani, nevertheless, famous that it might be fascinating to see whether or not those that purchased claims from FTX collectors ended up on high or not.
“Should you have been taking $0.25 on the greenback and shopping for Bitcoin at $18,000, $20,000, $30,000 you probably did fairly properly, proper?
“To procure ETH, you did not do as properly. To procure SOL? You probably did actually, actually freaking properly, proper?
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Bhaidani is well-known for recognizing flaws in FTX’s enterprise and predicting it would collapse one month earlier than it unraveled.
Within the interview with Cointelegraph, Bhaidani pointed to collateral injury FTX had suffered from the $60 billion Terra Luna ecosystem collapse and former FTX US President Brett Harrison leaving earlier than he was sure for a giant payout.
“He does not even hit his vest on a $32 billion firm… we’re speaking about a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in potential fairness, why is he leaving with out vesting?”
“One thing must be fallacious within the kitchen over there,” Bhaidani mentioned.
Requested whether or not former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried would ever be pardoned from his 25-year prison sentence, Bhaidani estimated a 2% to five% probability — although it might be much more unlikely beneath the present Trump administration.
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