Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years for Massive FTX Fraud Scheme

This final edition of the former Chain Reaction newsletter, now known as TechCrunch Crypto, provides updates on the crypto market. Notable events include the sentencing of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison for fraud and money laundering, the acquisition of CFT Capital by Borderless Capital, Worldcoin's ban in Europe, and the launch of 0G Labs with $35 million pre-seed funding. The crypto market showed signs of recovery with Bitcoin and Ether seeing gains.

Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years for FTX Fraud and Money Laundering

New York, United States - Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating a massive fraud and money laundering scheme that defrauded investors of billions of dollars.

Bankman-Fried, once a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency industry, was found guilty on seven counts of fraud and money laundering in November. The charges stemmed from his role in diverting customer funds from FTX to his hedge fund, Alameda Research, and using those funds to make risky investments and personal purchases.

Prosecutors argued that Bankman-Fried's actions were a "brazen" and "unlawful" scheme to line his own pockets at the expense of unsuspecting investors. They presented evidence of lavish spending by Bankman-Fried and his associates, including luxury real estate, yachts, and private jets.

In sentencing Bankman-Fried, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the Southern District of New York noted the "staggering" scope of the fraud and the "extraordinary, unprecedented" betrayal of trust by Bankman-Fried.

"Your actions have impoverished thousands of innocent people," Judge Kaplan said during the sentencing hearing. "You have shattered trust in the cryptocurrency industry, a trust that will take years to rebuild."

Bankman-Fried's sentence is the longest ever imposed on a white-collar criminal in the United States. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of up to 30 years, while Bankman-Fried's defense team requested a 12-year sentence.

The sentencing marks the culmination of a swift and dramatic fall from grace for Bankman-Fried, who was once hailed as a wunderkind in the cryptocurrency world. In just a matter of months, his company, FTX, went from being valued at $32 billion to declaring bankruptcy amid revelations of massive fraud and mismanagement.

The collapse of FTX and the subsequent criminal charges against Bankman-Fried have sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency industry and raised questions about the regulation of digital assets. Regulators are now working to implement new measures to prevent similar frauds from occurring in the future.

Borderless Capital Acquires CFT Capital to Enhance AI and Quantitative Expertise

San Francisco, United States - Borderless Capital, a leading web3 investment firm, has acquired CFT Capital, a quantitative trading and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist, in a move to strengthen its capabilities in data science and automated trading.

CFT Capital's team of data scientists and engineers will join Borderless Capital, bringing with them expertise in machine learning, natural language processing, and quantitative analysis. The acquisition is expected to enhance Borderless Capital's ability to identify and invest in promising web3 projects and protocols.

"The acquisition of CFT Capital significantly enhances our ability to leverage data and AI to make more informed investment decisions," said Kevin Johnson, Managing Partner at Borderless Capital. "This is a strategic move that will help us stay at the forefront of innovation in the web3 space."

Borderless Capital has been actively investing in web3 startups since its inception in 2022. The firm has a portfolio that includes over 50 companies, including LayerZero, Polygon, and Uniswap.

The acquisition of CFT Capital is the latest in a series of moves by Borderless Capital to expand its capabilities and position itself as a leading player in the web3 investment landscape. In recent months, the firm has also launched a venture capital fund and a seed-stage incubation program.

Worldcoin Faces Additional Ban Order in Europe Amid Concerns Over Children's Data

Brussels, Belgium - The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has issued another ban order against Worldcoin, a blockchain project that aims to create a global digital identity system. The EDPB cited concerns over the risks posed to children's data by Worldcoin's data collection practices.

Worldcoin uses iris scanning technology to create digital identities for users. The project has faced criticism from privacy advocates, who argue that the collection of biometric data raises concerns about surveillance and the potential for misuse.

The EDPB ban order prohibits Worldcoin from processing the personal data of any individual in the European Union (EU) who is under the age of 18. The order also requires Worldcoin to delete any personal data that has already been collected from children in the EU.

This is the second ban order that the EDPB has issued against Worldcoin. In January, the EDPB ordered Worldcoin to suspend data processing in the EU while it investigated the project's compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Worldcoin has stated that it is committed to respecting the privacy of users and has implemented measures to protect children's data. However, the EDPB has expressed concerns that Worldcoin's data collection practices are not sufficiently transparent and that users are not adequately informed about the risks involved.

The EDPB ban order is a setback for Worldcoin, which has ambitious plans to create a global digital identity system that would be accessible to everyone. The project has raised over $25 million in funding from investors, including a16z and Pantera Capital.

New Web3 Network Promises to Break Big Tech's Control Over User Data

London, United Kingdom - A new web3 network is in development that aims to end Big Tech's control over user data and give users full ownership of their digital identities. The network, called MyData, is being developed by a team of former technologists from Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

MyData is based on a decentralized blockchain protocol that allows users to store their data securely and control who has access to it. The network will also include a marketplace where users can buy and sell data on their own terms.

"We believe that users should have complete control over their own data," said Sarah Stone, Co-Founder and CEO of MyData. "MyData is a platform that will enable users to take back control of their digital lives."

MyData is still in its early stages of development, but the project has already attracted interest from investors and web3 enthusiasts. The team is currently fundraising for a seed round of financing.

If successful, MyData could have a significant impact on the web3 landscape and challenge the dominance of Big Tech companies in the digital economy.

0G Labs Launches with $35M Pre-Seed Funding to Build Modular AI Blockchain

New York, United States - 0G Labs, a startup building a modular artificial intelligence (AI) blockchain, has raised $35 million in pre-seed funding led by Tiger Global Management.

0G Labs' blockchain is designed to be interoperable with other blockchains and will allow developers to build and deploy AI applications without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. The company's goal is to make AI more accessible and scalable for a wider range of users.

"We believe that AI is going to revolutionize the world, but the current blockchain infrastructure is not equipped to handle the demands of AI applications," said Moe Vahdat, Co-Founder and CEO of 0G Labs. "0G Labs is building the infrastructure that will make AI accessible to everyone."

0G Labs' team includes former engineers from Google, Meta, and Amazon. The company is backed by a group of investors that also includes Coinbase Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Sequoia Capital.

The $35 million in pre-seed funding is one of the largest ever raised by a web3 startup. It is a testament to the growing interest in AI and its potential to transform the blockchain industry.

Crypto Market Rebounds Amid Positive Sentiment

Singapore - The cryptocurrency market has rebounded this week, with most major cryptocurrencies posting gains. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, is up over 7% on the week, trading at around $71,300 at the time of writing. Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency, is up over 2% on the week, trading at around $3,550.

The positive sentiment in the market may be due to a number of factors, including the upcoming launch of Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade and the recent announcement by Coinbase that it will list the Shiba Inu (SHIB) token.

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization has increased by over 6% this week, to $2.67 trillion. This is still significantly below the market capitalization of $3.2 trillion that was reached in November 2021, but it is a sign of recovery from the recent market downturn.

Podcast: Blockchain and AI Integrations

Silicon Valley, United States - In this episode of the Chain Reaction podcast, we dive into the intersection of blockchain and AI. We speak with Scott Dykstra, CTO and Co-Founder of Space and Time, about the potential of AI to enhance the capabilities of blockchain technology.

We discuss how data warehouses work in Web 2.0 versus web3, the importance of data transparency, and the future use cases for data and on-chain AI. Scott also shares his advice for navigating the cryptocurrency market during both bull and bear markets.

Web3 Gaming and Trading

San Francisco, United States - Illuvium, a web3 gaming startup, has raised $12 million in a Series A round to expand its offerings. The funding will be used to develop new games and features, as well as to expand the team.

Avalanche-based startup Gunzilla has raised $30 million to help release its new game, Off The Grid. The game is a multiplayer first-person shooter that will be built on the Avalanche blockchain.

OrdinalsBot, a data layer for the Bitcoin blockchain, has raised over $3 million to build out its infrastructure and expand its team. The funding will be used