Grab Some Popcorn, Because SBF Is Gonna Testify at His Own Trial

We can't look away.

Taking the Stand

Disgraced crypto baron Sam Bankman-Fried is no stranger to tweeting through it.

After his FTX empire collapsed in spectacular fashion last year, the former wunderkind CEO attempted to defend himself in a variety of ways — from ill-advised blogs to speaking with reporters against his lawyers' wishes — before finally shutting up.

Now, weeks into his own trial, his latest attorney has revealed that yes, Bankman-Fried will take the witness stand, the New York Times reports — in the latest wild yet somehow unsurprising twist in the exchange epic downfall.

Prison Complex

Bankman-Fried has been accused of stealing billions of deposits from FTX customers and has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. He's potentially looking at spending the rest of his life behind bars.

The evidence stacked against him so far looks pretty overwhelming, from damning group chat exchanges between him and his collaborators to eyebrow-raising testimony from his ex-girlfriend and former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison.

In short, things are not looking good for Bankman-Fried — and instead of having his lawyers duke it out on his behalf, it sounds like he's going to put himself out there in front of the court and the world.

What could possibly go wrong? It's not inconceivable that he'll give prosecutors even more ammunition. But then again, he doesn't have an awful lot left to lose.

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