In a surprising turn of events, the bankruptcy trustees of the once-mighty crypto exchange FTX have filed a lawsuit against their former rival, Binance. The lawsuit, which was filed in a US bankruptcy court in Delaware, is seeking to recover a staggering $1. 76 billion. This massive sum was allegedly transferred to Binance and its top executives, including co-founder Changpeng Zhao, at the expense of FTX's creditors. The lawsuit not only aims to retrieve the funds but also to secure additional damages, which will be determined during the trial.

The lawsuit details a complex business relationship that went sour. In 2019, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sold a 20% stake in his company to Binance. However, the partnership ended in 2021 when Binance sold its shares back to FTX. The sale was funded by FTX's trading division, Alameda Research, using a mix of FTX's exchange tokens (FTT), Binance's exchange tokens (BNB), and Binance's stablecoin (BUSD). The transaction, valued at over $1. 76 billion, is now being scrutinized under bankruptcy law.

The lawsuit alleges that the transfer of funds was fraudulent. It argues that both FTX and Alameda were insolvent by early 2021, making the transfer a "constructive fraudulent transfer" under bankruptcy laws. Moreover, it suggests that the transfer was intentional and part of Sam Bankman-Fried's scheme. Caroline Ellison, Bankman-Fried's second-in-command, testified that they had to borrow from FTX to complete the transaction, indicating Alameda's financial struggles.

This lawsuit adds another layer of complexity to the already tangled web of the crypto industry's legal battles. It raises important questions about the ethics of crypto transactions and the responsibilities of major players in the industry.

CHANGPENG ZHAO

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