A judge sets SBF's trial for October 2023, allows redacting his bond signers' names for now, and amends his bail terms to prohibit him from accessing FTX funds
furiously writing notes to his attorneys on a legal pad and pointing to them with a biro. Leo Schwartz / @leomschwartz : After Judge Kaplan granted Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers' request to redact the names of the co-signers for SBF's $250 million bond yesterday, @innercitypress has filed an application to unseal their names and information https://twitter.com/... @tier10k : SBF asks judge to redact the names of the two individuals who co-signed his bond Who could it be? https://twitter.com/... Molly Crane-Newman / @molcranenewman : Judge Kaplan granted Bankman-Fried's request to keep secret the names and addresses of two signees of his $250 million bond. He did so without prejudice to applications opposing their sealing, like one filed by @innercitypress before the hearing ended. https://www.nydailynews.com/ ... @innercitypress : Yep - can't wait to see how SBF's counsel try to explain why he should be given more secrecy than other defendants in SDNY Magistrates Court. To the degree they cite Ghislaine Maxwell, note she was rightly detained pre-trial... https://twitter.com/... Hussein Kanji / @hkanji : SBF can probably thank Jeffrey Epstein's enabler for helping to keep his supporters' names a secret https://www.reuters.com/... @exavierpope : Who would have thought playing with fake money would lead so many suckers to invest in it https://twitter.com/... @autismcapital : One week back at home and Sam gets fat again. Bahamian jail looked better on him. He needs more locked up abroad fugitive energy. https://twitter.com/...
CoinDesk
Context & Ripple Effects
The bond-signers dispute followed Bankman-Fried’s request to shield the sureties from public scrutiny and came after the original judge stepped aside because of her husband’s firm’s FTX work. Kaplan’s orders establish both the schedule for the criminal case and the operating limits of Bankman-Fried’s pretrial release.
Bankman-Fried must prepare for an October trial while barred from accessing FTX funds, narrowing what he can do under release.
The two people backing his $250 million bond receive temporary anonymity, while court challenges over disclosure remain active.
Second-order effects
The disclosure fight puts the sureties and Bankman-Fried’s legal team on opposite sides of press and public-access demands, creating a separate appellate issue alongside the criminal case.
Restricting access to FTX funds makes bail compliance a distinct area of judicial oversight rather than leaving it to the fraud case’s eventual trial record.
Third-order effects
The sequence points to pretrial release becoming an increasingly consequential stage in high-profile financial-crime cases: courts can tighten conduct restrictions and revisit anonymity before a jury hears the charges.
As later bail revocation shows, compliance with release conditions can reshape a defendant’s ability to participate in the pretrial process independently of the trial timetable.
The trend: High-profile crypto prosecutions are placing greater weight on granular pretrial controls, from asset-access limits to public disclosure of bail backers.
SBF became animated when prosecutors successfully requested that the judge prohibit him from accessing or transferring FTX assets — furiously writing notes to his attorneys on a legal pad and pointing to them with a biro.
Judge Kaplan granted Bankman-Fried's request to keep secret the names and addresses of two signees of his $250 million bond. He did so without prejudice to applications opposing their sealing, like one filed by @innercitypress before the hearing ended. https://www.nydailynews.com…
FULL STORY: @SBF_FTX pleaded not guilty to all charges. NY Judge Kaplan set an Oct date for trial, allowed defense to redact surety signers for now and amended bail terms to prohibit SBF from accessing FTX funds. W/ @cheyenneligon & @LizKNapolitano https://www.coindesk.com/...
I was at SBF's arraignment in Manhattan today where he pled not guilty and a trial date was set for Oct. The judge updated SBF's bail agreement to prohibit his access to Alameda and FTX funds after transactions last week from associated crypto wallets: https://fortune.com/...
🚨 US Prosecutor proposes a new bail condition that would prevent Bankman-Fried from accessing or transferring any assets related to FTX or Alameda. Does this mean he's about to lose internet access?
🚨 Judge Lewis Kaplan makes new ruling that Bankman-Fried is barred from accessing any FTX or Alameda assets. - court hearing Sounds a lot like this means he did have access before today...
Prosecutors are asking for an additional stipulation that Bankman-Fried NOT be allowed to access or transfer any FTX or Alameda assets (how is this not already a thing? what?) Sam's lawyer is stalling but prosecutors say “This is a no brainer.” Judge Kaplan sides with prosecutors
“[Ghislaine Maxwell's] lawyers sought to hide the names of people willing to sign a bond to win her release from jail before trial. Bankman-Fried is being represented by some of the same lawyers.” https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Sam Bankman-Fried has arrived in court for his arraignment. We're told he will plead not guilty to all the charges against him. https://twitter.com/...
AUSA: The access of Alameda wallets, we do not have evidence that it was the defendant. Even in a few days, additional assets could be accessed. It's hard to understand that they won't agree to the condition. He has tweeted falsely before...
Judge: I impose that condition, I view it was warranted. Cohen: I'd like to respond. Judge Kaplan: Why don't we save it until you are back before the Court on this, which I hope it not necessary. Cohen: He was ordered by the Bahamas court - Judge: Not material
SBF arriving in court to give his plea. Laser focus on getting into the courthouse. Today is the next milestone in the journey. https://twitter.com/...
Medieval battle scenes just now outside the SDNY as Sam Bankman-Fried arrived for his presentment. His mom fell out of the SUV they arrived in and onto the street on her back as he wrangled through a swarm of photogs waiting for him in the rain. He's due before Judge Kaplan at 2.
There's no way SBF can make it that long without violating the terms of his bail. So, what's the over/under on him getting remanded? https://twitter.com/...
Cohen: On Friday there was I guess a tweet alleging that Mr. Bankman-Fried had transferred assets, he had not. We contacted the government... They would like to supplement the conditions. We are speaking about language, we've exchanged drafts. Give us a day or 2
BREAKING: Sam pleads “NOT GUILTY” on all eight charges. Judge Kaplan accepts the motion to REDACT the identities of the additional two sureties putting up collateral for Sam's bond.
Let me get this straight; @SBF_FTX admits on 10's of podcasts, spaces and streams, to defrauding investors, co-mingling funds, wire fraud by transferring funds via Alameda's account. He arrives at court and pleads NOT GUILTY & now gets to go back to his parents for 10 months??
As SBF arrives in court, a stern joint statement just out from @federalreserve/@FDICgov/@USOCC to banks: Issuing or holding crypto assets on an open/public network is “highly likely to be inconsistent with safe and sound banking practices.” https://www.federalreserve.gov/ ...
An uncomfortable-looking SBF pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was seen chewing the corners of his mouth throughout the 30-minute hearing and smearing on lip balm, which he squeezed out of a little black tube. Judge set a trial date of October 2.
SBF had his arms crossed and began tapping on a piece of paper to draw attention to his lawyer as prosecutors asked to modify bail terms to include more restrictions — namely, accessing or transferring FTX or Alameda assets — something SBF has recently denied doing