The Alameda gap and crypto liquidity crisis explained
FTX collapse: Unraveling the cryptocurrency crisis of November 2022
In November 2022, the cryptocurrency world was rocked by the collapse of FTX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. The collapse was triggered by a liquidity crisis at FTX, which was caused by a combination of factors, including mismanagement of customer funds and risky trading practices by FTX’s sister company, Alameda Research.
The collapse of FTX had a ripple effect across the crypto market, causing a sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices, a drain of liquidity and a loss of confidence in the crypto industry. It also raised serious questions about the safety and security of customer funds on cryptocurrency exchanges. The crypto industry’s lack of risk management standards was exposed through the crisis.
FTX has filed for bankruptcy, revealing a debt of over $3 billion to its creditors. Additionally, the exchange is unable to locate approximately $8.9 billion worth of customer assets. The exact amount of money lost by customers is difficult to determine, as some customers may have been able to withdraw their funds before the exchange suspended withdrawals. However, it is estimated that customers lost billions of dollars in the FTX crash.
The collapse of FTX caused a sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices. The total market capitalization of the crypto market fell from over $1 trillion in November 2022 to under $800 billion in December 2022. This represents a market collapse of over $200 billion in dollar terms.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s strategic path
SBF saw an opportunity to create wealth at an unparalleled pace by combining the ICO method of token creation and subsequent leveraging.
SBF saw an opportunity to profit by creating a new cryptocurrency exchange that would exploit the shortcomings of existing exchanges. Bankman-Fried began by setting up a quantitative trading firm called Alameda Research.
Alameda Research used sophisticated algorithms to trade cryptocurrencies on a variety of exchanges. Alameda Research was very successful, and it quickly became one of the largest cryptocurrency traders in the world.
In 2019, Bankman-Fried launched FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange designed to be more user-friendly and efficient than existing exchanges. FTX also offered a number of features that were not available on other exchanges, such as margin trading and derivatives trading. However, none of the regulatory controls typically needed by mainstream financial services trading platforms were addressed.
Relationship between FTX and Alameda Research
FTX and Alameda Research were closely linked. Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison were the CEOs of FTX and Alameda Research respectively. However, Bankman-Fried controlled a majority of the shares in both companies. Alameda Research also used FTX as its primary exchange.
The close relationship between FTX and Alameda Research allowed Bankman-Fried to engage in a variety of fraudulent activities, including:
- Misappropriating customer funds: Bankman-Fried transferred customer funds from FTX to Alameda Research without the customer’s consent. He used these funds to cover Alameda Research’s losses and to fund his own lavish lifestyle.
- Manipulating the cryptocurrency market: Alameda Research used its large trading volume to manipulate the prices of cryptocurrencies on FTX. This allowed Bankman-Fried to profit from insider trading.
- Offering fraudulent financial products: FTX, under Bankman-Fried’s leadership, offered unregulated financial products like margin and derivatives trading. This lack of oversight allowed him to defraud customers by selling these products without disclosing the associated risks.
FTX scam and Alameda gap unveiled
The scam began to unravel in November 2022 when it was revealed that Alameda Research held a large position in FTT, the native token of FTX.
The report sparked a sell-off of FTX Token (FTT), which caused the token’s price to plummet. It also raised concerns about the financial health of Alameda Research and FTX. This led to a liquidity crisis at FTX, as customers rushed to withdraw their funds from the exchange.
FTX was unable to meet the withdrawal demands, and it was forced to suspend withdrawals. FTX also filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022. The collapse of FTX had a devastating impact on the crypto market.
In November, a significant decrease in liquidity within the crypto market was coined as the “Alameda gap” by blockchain data firm Kaiko. This term emerged due to the notable role played by Alameda Research, the largest market maker during that period.
The Alameda Gap represented a substantial decline in available liquidity, impacting trading volumes and market stability. This phenomenon underscored the influence of major market participants and highlighted the intricate dynamics that govern cryptocurrency markets.
While the FTX episode may have been the last domino to fall in a series of bankruptcies that were filed during 2022, it was easily the biggest event of the year, and it put the industry under a legal and regulatory microscope.
The Bankman-Fried trial
SBF was arrested in the Bahamas on Dec. 12, 2022, after United States prosecutors filed criminal charges against him. He was extradited to the U.S. in January 2023 and went on trial in October 2023.
The arrest and trial of SBF was a major development in the crypto industry. It was the first time that a major crypto founder had been arrested and tried on criminal charges. Bankman-Fried was charged with seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.
The key witnesses for the prosecution were:
- Caroline Ellison, Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend and the former CEO of Alameda Research
- Nishad Singh, former FTX engineering director
- Gary Wang, co-founder of FTX
Ellison, Singh and Wang all pleaded guilty to multiple charges and cooperated with the prosecution. They testified that Bankman-Fried knowingly misled investors and customers about the financial health of FTX and Alameda Research. They also testified that Bankman-Fried used FTX customer funds to cover losses at Alameda Research and to fund his own lavish lifestyle.
Bankman-Fried was found guilty of all seven charges on Nov. 2, 2023. He faces a maximum of 115 years in prison. Bankman-Fried denied all of the charges against him. He said that he made mistakes but that he did not commit any crimes.
Post-FTX reforms in the cryptocurrency industry
There is often a silver lining with black swan events. A black swan event is one that is impossible to predict and has severe consequences. In the wake of the FTX and Alameda Research scam, several things have gained momentum, and the industry has focused on getting itself regulated. Across the world, regulators and crypto firms have worked collaboratively and consciously to protect investors.
The following are some notable developments in the crypto industry post the FTX crisis:
- Increased regulation: Governments worldwide have started to develop and implement comprehensive regulations for the crypto industry. These regulations would focus on protecting investors and preventing fraud.
- Transparency: Cryptocurrency exchanges have come forward and offered transparency around their operations and financial condition through proper documentation and risk management practices. This helps investors make informed decisions about where to invest their money.
- Audits: Cryptocurrency exchanges are being regularly audited by independent auditors. This helps to ensure that the exchanges are operating honestly and that customer funds are safe.
Investors also need to be vigilant and do their own research before participating in any cryptocurrency exchange-related activities. Investors should look for exchanges that are regulated, transparent and have a good reputation.
The cryptocurrency market continued its recovery in the past week as the total crypto market capitalization breached the $3 trillion mark for the first time since the beginning of March.
Bitcoin (BTC) rose to an over two-month high of $97,300 last seen at the end of February, before the “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement in the US, bolstering analyst predictions for a rally driven by “structural” institutional and exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows into the world’s first cryptocurrency.
Risk appetite continued rising among crypto investors, as Chinese state-linked news outlets indicated that the Trump administration has quietly contacted Beijing to discuss tariff reductions.
In the wider crypto space, Ethereum developers proposed a new token standard to improve the interoperability of the world’s second-largest blockchain network.
Bitcoin to $1 million by 2029 fueled by ETF and gov’t demand — Bitwise exec
Bitcoin’s expanding institutional adoption may provide the “structural” inflows necessary to surpass gold’s market capitalization and push its price beyond $1 million by 2029, according to Bitwise’s head of European research, André Dragosch.
“Our in-house prediction is $1 million by 2029. So that Bitcoin will match gold’s market cap and total addressable market by 2029,” he told Cointelegraph during the Chain Reaction daily X spaces show on April 30.
Gold is currently the world’s largest asset, valued at over $21.7 trillion. In comparison, Bitcoin’s market capitalization sits at $1.9 trillion, making it the seventh-largest asset globally, according to CompaniesMarketCap data.
For the 2025 market cycle, Bitcoin may surpass $200,000 in the “base case” and $500,000 with more governmental adoption, Dragosch said.
Eric Trump: USD1 will be used for $2 billion MGX investment in Binance
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX will use a stablecoin linked to US President Donald Trump’s family to settle a $2 billion investment in Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
The World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) US dollar-pegged stablecoin was launched by the Trump-associated crypto platform World Liberty Financial (WLFI) in March 2025.
MGX will use the USD1 stablecoin for its $2 billion investment in the Binance exchange, according to an announcement by Eric Trump during a panel discussion at Token2049 in Dubai. Trump, the son of the president, serves as executive vice president of the Trump Organization.
MGX announced its investment in Binance on March 12, marking the first institutional investment in the exchange and one of the biggest funding deals in the entire Web3 industry.
At the time, Binance declined Cointelegraph’s request to disclose what stablecoin was used in the transaction.
This marks the Abu Dhabi-based investment firm’s first venture into the cryptocurrency space.
Ethereum to simplify crosschain transactions with new token standards
Ethereum developers are working to improve blockchain interoperability with two new token standards: ERC-7930 and ERC-7828.
“There’s no standard way for wallets, apps, or protocols to interpret or display this information,” decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem development organization Wonderland wrote in a May 1 X post. Wallets, decentralized applications (DApps), block explorers and smart contracts follow different rules.
“The result? A messy, inconsistent experience that breaks crosschain UX,“ Wonderland stated.
Wonderland is a group of developers, researchers and data scientists focused on improving the Ethereum DeFi ecosystem. The organization partnered with multiple DeFi protocols, including Optimism, Aztec, Connext and Yearn.
In the post, the organization shared what was discussed at a recent Ethereum Foundation interoperability working group call. Teddy from Wonderland explained that the current goal is to finalize both token standards within the next two weeks. He added:
“We badly need feedback on the ETH-Magicians forum.”
Crypto hackers hit DeFi for $92 million in April as attacks double from March
Cryptocurrency hackers stole more than $90 million in April, dealing another blow to the industry’s mainstream reputation despite ongoing efforts to improve cybersecurity.
Hackers made off with $92 million of digital assets across 15 incidents in April, according to an April 30 research report by blockchain cybersecurity firm Immunefi.
The total marks a 124% month-over-month increase from March, when hackers stole $41 million.
The month’s largest hack on open-source platform UPCX accounted for most of the damage in April, with over $70 million in losses, while KiloEx lost $7.5 million as April’s second-largest hack.
The KiloEx exploiter returned the stolen funds just days after the attack occurred.
All of April’s reported attacks targeted decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. Centralized exchanges reported no incidents during the month, the report noted.
Immunefi, which says it helps protect $190 billion in user funds, has paid more than $116 million in bounties to white hat hackers.
Crypto group asks Trump to end prosecution of crypto devs, Roman Storm
The crypto lobby group, the DeFi Education Fund, has petitioned the Trump administration to end what it claimed was the “lawless prosecution” of open-source software developers, including Roman Storm, a creator of the crypto mixing service Tornado Cash.
In an April 28 letter to White House crypto czar David Sacks, the group urged President Donald Trump “to take immediate action to discontinue the Biden-era Department of Justice’s lawless campaign to criminalize open-source software development.”
The letter specifically mentioned the prosecution of Storm, who was charged in August 2023 with helping launder over $1 billion in crypto through Tornado Cash. His trial is still set for July, and his fellow charged co-founder, Roman Semenov, is at large and believed to be in Russia.
The DeFi Education Fund said that in Storm’s case, the Department of Justice is attempting to hold software developers criminally liable for how others use their code, which is “not only absurd in principle, but it sets a precedent that potentially chills all crypto development in the United States.”
The group also called for the recognition that the prosecution contradicts the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) guidance from Trump’s first term, which established that developers of self-custodial, peer-to-peer protocols are not money transmitters.
“This kind of legal environment does not just chill innovation — it freezes it,” they argued. The letter added that it also “empowers politically-motivated enforcement and puts every open-source developer at risk, regardless of industry.”
In January, a federal court in Texas ruled that the Treasury overstepped its authority by sanctioning Tornado Cash.
DeFi market overview
According to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the green.
The Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) token rose over 103% as the week’s biggest gainer, followed by the Solayer (LAYER) token, up over 29% during the past week.
Thanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.
The US Central Intelligence Agency is increasingly incorporating Bitcoin (BTC) as a tool in its operations, and working with the cryptocurrency is a matter of national security, Michael Ellis, the agency’s deputy director, told podcast host Anthony Pompliano.
In an appearance on the market analyst and investor’s show, Ellis told Pompliano that the intelligence agency works with law enforcement to track BTC, and it is a point of data collection in counter-intelligence operations. Ellis added:
“Bitcoin is here to stay — cryptocurrency is here to stay. As you know, more and more institutions are adopting it, and I think that is a great trend. One that this administration has obviously been leaning forward into.”
“It’s another area of competition where we need to ensure the United States is well-positioned against China and other adversaries,” Ellis said.
Although Ellis’s comments point to Bitcoin maturing as an asset, they also reflect the increased involvement of governments and institutions in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This increased involvement runs contrary to the libertarian and cypherpunk ethos originally inherent in crypto.
Related: Geopolitical tensions fuel central bank shift toward gold, crypto — BlackRock exec
Bitcoin: from cypherpunk experiment to state reserve asset
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve on March 7, to mixed reactions from the Bitcoin community.
Bitcoin Magazine CEO David Bailey celebrated the move, while Venice AI founder and BTC advocate Erik Vorhees warned against the government owning any Bitcoin but added that if the US government is to adopt any crypto reserve, it should be Bitcoin-only.
Concerns that cryptocurrencies have lost their cypherpunk roots predate the current market cycle and any strategic reserve legislation or comprehensive regulatory frameworks for digital assets.
In March 2020, Therese Chambers, the former director of retail and regulatory investigations at the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), argued that cryptocurrencies had become increasingly financialized and institutionalized.
Chambers added that digital assets were behaving far more like traditional financial instruments than the privacy-preserving tools they were initially billed as.
Magazine: Big Questions: Did the NSA create Bitcoin?
Crypto exchange KuCoin said that it may reenter South Korea after its platform was blocked in the country.
On March 21, South Korean regulators ordered Google Play to block access to exchanges that were not compliant with the requirements needed to operate in the country. On April 11, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) ordered the Apple Store to block unregistered crypto exchanges.
KuCoin was among those affected by the country’s crackdown on unregistered platforms that were previously available. While the platform is now unavailable to South Koreans, it has not fully abandoned the jurisdiction.
In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, KuCoin’s newly appointed CEO, BC Wong, said that the crypto exchange has plans to reenter the country.
Regulators drive global players away from local markets
Wong told Cointelegraph that before the exchange can reenter South Korea, it plans to secure compliance with major jurisdictions first. He said:
“The resource is there. We need to go one by one. Our strategy will always be that major jurisdictions come first, which means the United States, EU, China, India, and maybe after that, Australia.”
Wong confirmed to Cointelegraph that KuCoin representatives had started speaking with regulators. The executive said that operating in crypto is very similar to traditional financial markets, where there’s a need for a clear background in each jurisdiction.
The KuCoin CEO also said that regulators are stricter compared to three years ago. He said that this could be a move to drive global players away from local crypto markets.
“I’m not so sure that if the regulators’ intention is to regulate the global market or just simply, they want to pave the way to get all the global kind of players to be out from their market, and pave the road for their domestic exchange,” Wong added.
Related: Kraken tells how it spotted North Korean hacker in job interview
KuCoin’s EU CEO shares regulatory challenges in Europe
Oliver Stauber, who joined KuCoin as its European Union CEO, told Cointelegraph that there are also difficulties operating in the EU, even with the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in place.
Stauber, who previously worked as the chief legal officer of Bitpanda, told Cointelegraph that while MiCA licenses have a passporting feature, which should allow license holders to provide services across the EU, the executive said that some jurisdictions interpret the laws differently.
Stauber said that some jurisdictions may say that licenses were “wrongly assessed,” which gets in the way of operating in some jurisdictions.
“MiCA was said to have a level playing field in crypto all over Europe. However, as long as there are players who are not playing by the books, you know it’s getting quite messy and difficult,” Stauber told Cointelegraph.
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