Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has indicated that he’s willing to testify at a United States House hearing into the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
Bankman-Fried controversially missed the deadline to respond to a Senate Banking Committee request to appear and testify during a hearing focused on FTX’s bankruptcy earlier this week. The possibility of a congressional Subpoena was open, but the former CEO is offering his support in a series tweets that were published Dec. 9.
1) I don’t have access at all to my personal and professional data. There is a limit on what I can say and I may not be as helpful as I would like.
However, the committee believes it would still be beneficial so I am willing and able to testify on the thirteenth. https://t.co/KR34BsNaG1
— SBF (@SBF_FTX) December 9, 2022
Bankman-Fried was replying to a thread of tweets from congresswoman Maxine Waters, chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee, who contended that his recent interviews with a number of media houses provided evidence that he had enough information ‘sufficient for testimony’.
Related: Crypto community baffled by SBF dictating terms over congressional hearing
Highlighting the fact that FTX had affected more than one million people, Waters implored Bankman-Fried to testify given that his knowledge would be ‘meaningful’ to members of congress and ‘critical’ to the American people.
.@SBF_FTX,
Based on your role as CEO and your media interviews over the past few weeks, it’s clear to us that the information you have thus far is sufficient for testimony. (1/3) https://t.co/YUVVjOkC40
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) December 5, 2022
Bankman-Fried’s belated response on Twitter came four days after Waters’ request. Alameda Research and FTX’s former heads stated that he would not be able provide any answers due to a lack in access to professional or personal data.
He added that he would look to provide information and insights on FTX US’s solvency and American customers, potential avenues to ‘return value to users internationally,’ what led to the collapse of the exchange and his ‘own failings’.
For presenting the former CEO in the crisis as a victim, Bankman-Fried has been criticized by mainstream media outlets and the wider cryptocurrency community.
Bankman-Fried attempted to calm Twitter users by highlighting his shortcomings in running the now-defunct company. This has left investors short of answers and out of pocket.
“I had thought of myself as a model CEO who wouldn’t become lazy or disconnected. Which made it that much more destructive when I did.”
Bankman-Fried stated that he hoped people would learn from the difference between “who i was” and “who i could have been”, in an apparent attempt to gain more sympathy, as the U.S. government pressure mounts
Editor’s note: This headline has been updated to reflect the House Financial Services Committee hearing scheduled for Dec. 13.