#bankman — Public Fediverse posts

#Antisemitism cynically weaponized by people whose actual politics often align with or enable real antisemitic movements. They’re not protecting Jews - they’re exploiting Jewish safety concerns to advance far-right, #Islamophobic, and anti-left political goals while using #eugenic language that would make 1930s immigration restrictionists nod approvingly.

Some quotes taken from The #Telegraph - a right-wing British newspaper hostile to #Starmer’s Labour government - which “broke the story” I believe:

Garson’s characterization of British Jews as desirable asylum seekers is textbook eugenic framing: “highly educated community,” “speaks English natively,” “doesn’t have a high proportion of criminals.”

Excellent criteria for model citizens. See Jeffrey #Epstein (financier, sex trafficker), Bernie #Madoff (largest Ponzi scheme in history), Sam #Bankman-Fried (crypto fraudster, billions stolen), Harvey #Weinstein (serial rapist) - all highly educated, native English speakers, yet among US’ most notorious criminals. Before we even check antisemitism rates in the USA: from Charlottesville’s “Jews will not replace us” chants to the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue massacre (deadliest antisemitic attack in US history), the Poway synagogue shooting, the Jersey City kosher market attack, and the 2022 record-breaking spike that continued into 2023’s all-time high of 8,873 incidents.

The point isn’t that Jewish Americans are criminals. The point is Garson’s eugenic framing is absurd and offensive. His language implies other refugee groups have “high proportions of criminals” - classic racist immigration rhetoric. This is the same dehumanizing logic used to justify rejecting refugees fleeing actual violence, like Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

But honestly, why would Jews want to move to a country where #ICE operates as a budding #Gestapo, hunting and kidnapping people off the streets of major cities? A country with concentration camps at the border, family separations, and a president who called neo-Nazis “very fine people”? A country where the administration uses eugenic language to determine which refugees are “desirable”?

People know what happens when governments start categorizing people by ethnic desirability, deploying paramilitaries to round up unwanted populations, and building detention camps. The real danger to Jewish safety everywhere comes from the cynicism of pro-Israel “machers” (Yiddish makher) embedded in Trump’s administration, who are weaponizing antisemitism accusations while enabling the very fascist tactics that historically threaten Jews. They’re providing cover for far-right #authoritarianism by selectively invoking Jewish safety.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/trump-uk-jewish-asylum

#Antisemitism cynically weaponized by people whose actual politics often align with or enable real antisemitic movements. They’re not protecting Jews - they’re exploiting Jewish safety concerns to advance far-right, #Islamophobic, and anti-left political goals while using #eugenic language that would make 1930s immigration restrictionists nod approvingly.

Some quotes taken from The #Telegraph - a right-wing British newspaper hostile to #Starmer’s Labour government - which “broke the story” I believe:

Garson’s characterization of British Jews as desirable asylum seekers is textbook eugenic framing: “highly educated community,” “speaks English natively,” “doesn’t have a high proportion of criminals.”

Excellent criteria for model citizens. See Jeffrey #Epstein (financier, sex trafficker), Bernie #Madoff (largest Ponzi scheme in history), Sam #Bankman-Fried (crypto fraudster, billions stolen), Harvey #Weinstein (serial rapist) - all highly educated, native English speakers, yet among US’ most notorious criminals. Before we even check antisemitism rates in the USA: from Charlottesville’s “Jews will not replace us” chants to the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue massacre (deadliest antisemitic attack in US history), the Poway synagogue shooting, the Jersey City kosher market attack, and the 2022 record-breaking spike that continued into 2023’s all-time high of 8,873 incidents.

The point isn’t that Jewish Americans are criminals. The point is Garson’s eugenic framing is absurd and offensive. His language implies other refugee groups have “high proportions of criminals” - classic racist immigration rhetoric. This is the same dehumanizing logic used to justify rejecting refugees fleeing actual violence, like Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

But honestly, why would Jews want to move to a country where #ICE operates as a budding #Gestapo, hunting and kidnapping people off the streets of major cities? A country with concentration camps at the border, family separations, and a president who called neo-Nazis “very fine people”? A country where the administration uses eugenic language to determine which refugees are “desirable”?

People know what happens when governments start categorizing people by ethnic desirability, deploying paramilitaries to round up unwanted populations, and building detention camps. The real danger to Jewish safety everywhere comes from the cynicism of pro-Israel “machers” (Yiddish makher) embedded in Trump’s administration, who are weaponizing antisemitism accusations while enabling the very fascist tactics that historically threaten Jews. They’re providing cover for far-right #authoritarianism by selectively invoking Jewish safety.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/trump-uk-jewish-asylum

#Antisemitism cynically weaponized by people whose actual politics often align with or enable real antisemitic movements. They’re not protecting Jews - they’re exploiting Jewish safety concerns to advance far-right, #Islamophobic, and anti-left political goals while using #eugenic language that would make 1930s immigration restrictionists nod approvingly.

Some quotes taken from The #Telegraph - a right-wing British newspaper hostile to #Starmer’s Labour government - which “broke the story” I believe:

Garson’s characterization of British Jews as desirable asylum seekers is textbook eugenic framing: “highly educated community,” “speaks English natively,” “doesn’t have a high proportion of criminals.”

Excellent criteria for model citizens. See Jeffrey #Epstein (financier, sex trafficker), Bernie #Madoff (largest Ponzi scheme in history), Sam #Bankman-Fried (crypto fraudster, billions stolen), Harvey #Weinstein (serial rapist) - all highly educated, native English speakers, yet among US’ most notorious criminals. Before we even check antisemitism rates in the USA: from Charlottesville’s “Jews will not replace us” chants to the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue massacre (deadliest antisemitic attack in US history), the Poway synagogue shooting, the Jersey City kosher market attack, and the 2022 record-breaking spike that continued into 2023’s all-time high of 8,873 incidents.

The point isn’t that Jewish Americans are criminals. The point is Garson’s eugenic framing is absurd and offensive. His language implies other refugee groups have “high proportions of criminals” - classic racist immigration rhetoric. This is the same dehumanizing logic used to justify rejecting refugees fleeing actual violence, like Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

But honestly, why would Jews want to move to a country where #ICE operates as a budding #Gestapo, hunting and kidnapping people off the streets of major cities? A country with concentration camps at the border, family separations, and a president who called neo-Nazis “very fine people”? A country where the administration uses eugenic language to determine which refugees are “desirable”?

People know what happens when governments start categorizing people by ethnic desirability, deploying paramilitaries to round up unwanted populations, and building detention camps. The real danger to Jewish safety everywhere comes from the cynicism of pro-Israel “machers” (Yiddish makher) embedded in Trump’s administration, who are weaponizing antisemitism accusations while enabling the very fascist tactics that historically threaten Jews. They’re providing cover for far-right #authoritarianism by selectively invoking Jewish safety.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/trump-uk-jewish-asylum

#Antisemitism cynically weaponized by people whose actual politics often align with or enable real antisemitic movements. They’re not protecting Jews - they’re exploiting Jewish safety concerns to advance far-right, #Islamophobic, and anti-left political goals while using #eugenic language that would make 1930s immigration restrictionists nod approvingly.

Some quotes taken from The #Telegraph - a right-wing British newspaper hostile to #Starmer’s Labour government - which “broke the story” I believe:

Garson’s characterization of British Jews as desirable asylum seekers is textbook eugenic framing: “highly educated community,” “speaks English natively,” “doesn’t have a high proportion of criminals.”

Excellent criteria for model citizens. See Jeffrey #Epstein (financier, sex trafficker), Bernie #Madoff (largest Ponzi scheme in history), Sam #Bankman-Fried (crypto fraudster, billions stolen), Harvey #Weinstein (serial rapist) - all highly educated, native English speakers, yet among US’ most notorious criminals. Before we even check antisemitism rates in the USA: from Charlottesville’s “Jews will not replace us” chants to the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue massacre (deadliest antisemitic attack in US history), the Poway synagogue shooting, the Jersey City kosher market attack, and the 2022 record-breaking spike that continued into 2023’s all-time high of 8,873 incidents.

The point isn’t that Jewish Americans are criminals. The point is Garson’s eugenic framing is absurd and offensive. His language implies other refugee groups have “high proportions of criminals” - classic racist immigration rhetoric. This is the same dehumanizing logic used to justify rejecting refugees fleeing actual violence, like Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

But honestly, why would Jews want to move to a country where #ICE operates as a budding #Gestapo, hunting and kidnapping people off the streets of major cities? A country with concentration camps at the border, family separations, and a president who called neo-Nazis “very fine people”? A country where the administration uses eugenic language to determine which refugees are “desirable”?

People know what happens when governments start categorizing people by ethnic desirability, deploying paramilitaries to round up unwanted populations, and building detention camps. The real danger to Jewish safety everywhere comes from the cynicism of pro-Israel “machers” (Yiddish makher) embedded in Trump’s administration, who are weaponizing antisemitism accusations while enabling the very fascist tactics that historically threaten Jews. They’re providing cover for far-right #authoritarianism by selectively invoking Jewish safety.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/trump-uk-jewish-asylum

#Antisemitism cynically weaponized by people whose actual politics often align with or enable real antisemitic movements. They’re not protecting Jews - they’re exploiting Jewish safety concerns to advance far-right, #Islamophobic, and anti-left political goals while using #eugenic language that would make 1930s immigration restrictionists nod approvingly.

Some quotes taken from The #Telegraph - a right-wing British newspaper hostile to #Starmer’s Labour government - which “broke the story” I believe:

Garson’s characterization of British Jews as desirable asylum seekers is textbook eugenic framing: “highly educated community,” “speaks English natively,” “doesn’t have a high proportion of criminals.”

Excellent criteria for model citizens. See Jeffrey #Epstein (financier, sex trafficker), Bernie #Madoff (largest Ponzi scheme in history), Sam #Bankman-Fried (crypto fraudster, billions stolen), Harvey #Weinstein (serial rapist) - all highly educated, native English speakers, yet among US’ most notorious criminals. Before we even check antisemitism rates in the USA: from Charlottesville’s “Jews will not replace us” chants to the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue massacre (deadliest antisemitic attack in US history), the Poway synagogue shooting, the Jersey City kosher market attack, and the 2022 record-breaking spike that continued into 2023’s all-time high of 8,873 incidents.

The point isn’t that Jewish Americans are criminals. The point is Garson’s eugenic framing is absurd and offensive. His language implies other refugee groups have “high proportions of criminals” - classic racist immigration rhetoric. This is the same dehumanizing logic used to justify rejecting refugees fleeing actual violence, like Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

But honestly, why would Jews want to move to a country where #ICE operates as a budding #Gestapo, hunting and kidnapping people off the streets of major cities? A country with concentration camps at the border, family separations, and a president who called neo-Nazis “very fine people”? A country where the administration uses eugenic language to determine which refugees are “desirable”?

People know what happens when governments start categorizing people by ethnic desirability, deploying paramilitaries to round up unwanted populations, and building detention camps. The real danger to Jewish safety everywhere comes from the cynicism of pro-Israel “machers” (Yiddish makher) embedded in Trump’s administration, who are weaponizing antisemitism accusations while enabling the very fascist tactics that historically threaten Jews. They’re providing cover for far-right #authoritarianism by selectively invoking Jewish safety.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/trump-uk-jewish-asylum

Riding the Wild Wave of Crypto Coverage - David Yaffe-Bellany, a technology reporter who has covered the cryptocurrency industry si... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/insider/cryptocurrency-reporting.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #internationaltradeandworldmarket #contenttype:personalprofile #dubai(unitedarabemirates) #yaffe-bellanydavid #unitedarabemirates #bankman-friedsam #newsandnewsmedia #virtualcurrency

Riding the Wild Wave of Crypto Coverage - David Yaffe-Bellany, a technology reporter who has covered the cryptocurrency industry si... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/insider/cryptocurrency-reporing.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #internationaltradeandworldmarket #contenttype:personalprofile #dubai(unitedarabemirates) #unitedarabemirates #yaffe-bellanydavid #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

The Rise of Silicon Valley’s Techno-Religion - The Rationalists, a community focused on the risks of artificial intelligence, regularly ... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/technology/rationalists-ai-lighthaven.html #rationalists(philosophicalmovement) #audio-neutral-informative #computersandtheinternet #artificialintelligence #buildings(structures) #religionandbelief #bankman-friedsam #yudkowskyeliezer #openailabs #altruism #muskelon

Sam Bankman-Fried Lobbies Trump Associates in Hopes of a Pardon - Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sent... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/technology/sam-bankman-fried-pardon-trump.html #unitedstatespoliticsandgovernment #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #amnestiescommutationsandpardons #presidentsandpresidency(us) #computersandtheinternet #lobbyingandlobbyists #friedbarbara(1951-) #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Sam Bankman-Fried Lobbies Trump Associates in Hopes of a Pardon - Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sent... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/technology/sam-bankman-fried-pardon-trump.html #unitedstatespoliticsandgovernment #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #amnestiescommutationsandpardons #presidentsandpresidency(us) #computersandtheinternet #lobbyingandlobbyists #friedbarbara(1951-) #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Sam Bankman-Fried Lobbies Trump Associates in Hopes of a Pardon - Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sent... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/technology/sam-bankman-fried-pardon-trump.html #unitedstatespoliticsandgovernment #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #amnestiescommutationsandpardons #presidentsandpresidency(us) #computersandtheinternet #lobbyingandlobbyists #friedbarbara(1951-) #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Sam Bankman-Fried Lobbies Trump Associates in Hopes of a Pardon - Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sent... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/technology/sam-bankman-fried-pardon-trump.html #unitedstatespoliticsandgovernment #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #amnestiescommutationsandpardons #presidentsandpresidency(us) #computersandtheinternet #lobbyingandlobbyists #friedbarbara(1951-) #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Sam Bankman-Fried Lobbies Trump Associates in Hopes of a Pardon - Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sent... - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/technology/sam-bankman-fried-pardon-trump.html #unitedstatespoliticsandgovernment #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #amnestiescommutationsandpardons #presidentsandpresidency(us) #computersandtheinternet #lobbyingandlobbyists #friedbarbara(1951-) #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Gary Wang, a Top FTX Executive, Is Given No Prison Time - Mr. Wang is the last close colleague of the FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to be sentenced... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/technology/gary-wang-ftx-sentence.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #wangzixiao(gary) #virtualcurrency

Nishad Singh, a Top FTX Executive, Is Given No Prison Time After Cooperation - Mr. Singh, who was a top executive in Sam Bankman-Fried’s business empire, had pleaded gu... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/technology/nishad-singh-ftx-executive-sentencing.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #campaignfinance #bankruptcies #singhnishad #start-ups

The Downfall of FTX’s Ryan Salame and Crypto Advocate Michelle Bond - Ryan Salame, an FTX executive, and Michelle Bond, a crypto policy advocate, were once a W... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/10/technology/ftx-ryan-salame-michelle-bond.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #datingandrelationships #midtermelections(2022) #lobbyingandlobbyists #decisionsandverdicts #bondmichelle(1979-) #fraudsandswindling #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #campaignfinance

Caroline Ellison Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Role in FTX Fraud - A top adviser to Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of FTX, Ms. Ellison pleaded gui... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/24/technology/caroline-ellison-ftx-sentence.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #ellisoncaroline(1994-) #decisionsandverdicts #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #witnesses

Crypto Comes For Sherrod Brown:

$32 Million in Ads Boosting His Opponent

Crypto companies are spending $800,000 a day to take out one of their chief critics in Congress — and replace him with an ally

Late 2023 was not a great time for the crypto industry.

In November, #Sam #Bankman-#Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, learned that no amount of Michael Lewis gymnastics could save him from being convicted on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.

He was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison after disappearing $11 billion of other people’s money.

The following month, Sen. #Elizabeth #Warren sent letters to three crypto industry giants, the 🔸Blockchain Association, 🔸Coin Center, and 🔸Coinbase, criticizing them for undermining efforts to rein in crypto’s use in #terrorist #financing.

Around the same time, crypto groups began making noises about ♦️spending money in 2024 to defeat Ohio Sen. #Sherrod #Brown, the current ⭐️chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

❇️ Brown is a profound skeptic of the industry and signed off on Warren holding hearings on crypto’s possible links to terrorism.

Asked about the threats, Brown, a mop-topped Democrat with a raspy voice and wry sense of humor, said he was unconcerned.

But Brown had no idea of what was to come.

Rolling Stone has learned that crypto interests are set to spend💥 $32 million on TV ads promoting #Bernie #Moreno, Brown’s Republican opponent, by the end of September, according to Democratic media buyers.

The spending began on August 22
— meaning 🔥the crypto interests are spending more than $800,000 per day to flip the Ohio Senate seat, and potentially control of the Senate.

“Outside groups are spending record amounts to try to defeat Sherrod because they know he will always fight for Ohio, not special interests,” said Reeves Oyster, a Brown campaign spokesperson.

So far, the ads have been primarily fluffy positive spots boosting Moreno; some of the spots fearmonger about immigrants and China.

Tracing the roots of "Defend American Jobs" can be as convoluted as tracing crypto currency itself.

The group is effectively a subsidiary of #Fairshake
— the second-largest fundraiser among Super PACs this season according to OpenSecrets,
with over $200 million in its coffers.

♦️The bulk of Fairshake’s money has been donated by three crypto monoliths: Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ripple.

#Coinbase and its affiliates have donated $86 million.

The founders of the venture capital firm #Andreessen #Horowitz have together given $44 million.

#Ripple has contributed $25 million. (The #Winklevoss #Twins, who donated nearly $5 million to Fairshake, previously tried to donate $1 million in bitcoin to Donald Trump
— well beyond what is legal.)

Coinbase’s CEO #Brian #Armstrong has led the latest charge to bring crypto into the political mainstream,
hosting a Super Tuesday rally with Nas in Los Angeles where he proclaimed,
“More Americans own crypto than own electric vehicles or are in a union
— yet some people in D.C. are still underestimating how much and how many people care about crypto.

In 2024, it will become clear that being anti-crypto is bad politics.”

Rep. #Katie #Porter found that out the hard way.

During the California Democratic Senate primary, ⚠️Fairshake spent over $10 million against her campaign, apparently because she had the temerity to question the energy uses of the industry.

Porter didn’t make the runoff, losing to Adam Schiff, a longtime collaborator with crypto who received an ‘A’ rating from "Stand With Crypto", a self-described grassroots advocacy hub nonprofit led by Coinbase and fronted by Armstrong.

Porter got an ‘F.’
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/sherrod-brown-crypto-bernie-moreno-millions-1235102478/

Crypto Comes For Sherrod Brown:

$32 Million in Ads Boosting His Opponent

Crypto companies are spending $800,000 a day to take out one of their chief critics in Congress — and replace him with an ally

Late 2023 was not a great time for the crypto industry.

In November, #Sam #Bankman-#Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, learned that no amount of Michael Lewis gymnastics could save him from being convicted on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.

He was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison after disappearing $11 billion of other people’s money.

The following month, Sen. #Elizabeth #Warren sent letters to three crypto industry giants, the 🔸Blockchain Association, 🔸Coin Center, and 🔸Coinbase, criticizing them for undermining efforts to rein in crypto’s use in #terrorist #financing.

Around the same time, crypto groups began making noises about ♦️spending money in 2024 to defeat Ohio Sen. #Sherrod #Brown, the current ⭐️chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

❇️ Brown is a profound skeptic of the industry and signed off on Warren holding hearings on crypto’s possible links to terrorism.

Asked about the threats, Brown, a mop-topped Democrat with a raspy voice and wry sense of humor, said he was unconcerned.

But Brown had no idea of what was to come.

Rolling Stone has learned that crypto interests are set to spend💥 $32 million on TV ads promoting #Bernie #Moreno, Brown’s Republican opponent, by the end of September, according to Democratic media buyers.

The spending began on August 22
— meaning 🔥the crypto interests are spending more than $800,000 per day to flip the Ohio Senate seat, and potentially control of the Senate.

“Outside groups are spending record amounts to try to defeat Sherrod because they know he will always fight for Ohio, not special interests,” said Reeves Oyster, a Brown campaign spokesperson.

So far, the ads have been primarily fluffy positive spots boosting Moreno; some of the spots fearmonger about immigrants and China.

Tracing the roots of "Defend American Jobs" can be as convoluted as tracing crypto currency itself.

The group is effectively a subsidiary of #Fairshake
— the second-largest fundraiser among Super PACs this season according to OpenSecrets,
with over $200 million in its coffers.

♦️The bulk of Fairshake’s money has been donated by three crypto monoliths: Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ripple.

#Coinbase and its affiliates have donated $86 million.

The founders of the venture capital firm #Andreessen #Horowitz have together given $44 million.

#Ripple has contributed $25 million. (The #Winklevoss #Twins, who donated nearly $5 million to Fairshake, previously tried to donate $1 million in bitcoin to Donald Trump
— well beyond what is legal.)

Coinbase’s CEO #Brian #Armstrong has led the latest charge to bring crypto into the political mainstream,
hosting a Super Tuesday rally with Nas in Los Angeles where he proclaimed,
“More Americans own crypto than own electric vehicles or are in a union
— yet some people in D.C. are still underestimating how much and how many people care about crypto.

In 2024, it will become clear that being anti-crypto is bad politics.”

Rep. #Katie #Porter found that out the hard way.

During the California Democratic Senate primary, ⚠️Fairshake spent over $10 million against her campaign, apparently because she had the temerity to question the energy uses of the industry.

Porter didn’t make the runoff, losing to Adam Schiff, a longtime collaborator with crypto who received an ‘A’ rating from "Stand With Crypto", a self-described grassroots advocacy hub nonprofit led by Coinbase and fronted by Armstrong.

Porter got an ‘F.’
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/sherrod-brown-crypto-bernie-moreno-millions-1235102478/

Crypto Comes For Sherrod Brown:

$32 Million in Ads Boosting His Opponent

Crypto companies are spending $800,000 a day to take out one of their chief critics in Congress — and replace him with an ally

Late 2023 was not a great time for the crypto industry.

In November, #Sam #Bankman-#Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, learned that no amount of Michael Lewis gymnastics could save him from being convicted on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.

He was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison after disappearing $11 billion of other people’s money.

The following month, Sen. #Elizabeth #Warren sent letters to three crypto industry giants, the 🔸Blockchain Association, 🔸Coin Center, and 🔸Coinbase, criticizing them for undermining efforts to rein in crypto’s use in #terrorist #financing.

Around the same time, crypto groups began making noises about ♦️spending money in 2024 to defeat Ohio Sen. #Sherrod #Brown, the current ⭐️chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

❇️ Brown is a profound skeptic of the industry and signed off on Warren holding hearings on crypto’s possible links to terrorism.

Asked about the threats, Brown, a mop-topped Democrat with a raspy voice and wry sense of humor, said he was unconcerned.

But Brown had no idea of what was to come.

Rolling Stone has learned that crypto interests are set to spend💥 $32 million on TV ads promoting #Bernie #Moreno, Brown’s Republican opponent, by the end of September, according to Democratic media buyers.

The spending began on August 22
— meaning 🔥the crypto interests are spending more than $800,000 per day to flip the Ohio Senate seat, and potentially control of the Senate.

“Outside groups are spending record amounts to try to defeat Sherrod because they know he will always fight for Ohio, not special interests,” said Reeves Oyster, a Brown campaign spokesperson.

So far, the ads have been primarily fluffy positive spots boosting Moreno; some of the spots fearmonger about immigrants and China.

Tracing the roots of "Defend American Jobs" can be as convoluted as tracing crypto currency itself.

The group is effectively a subsidiary of #Fairshake
— the second-largest fundraiser among Super PACs this season according to OpenSecrets,
with over $200 million in its coffers.

♦️The bulk of Fairshake’s money has been donated by three crypto monoliths: Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ripple.

#Coinbase and its affiliates have donated $86 million.

The founders of the venture capital firm #Andreessen #Horowitz have together given $44 million.

#Ripple has contributed $25 million. (The #Winklevoss #Twins, who donated nearly $5 million to Fairshake, previously tried to donate $1 million in bitcoin to Donald Trump
— well beyond what is legal.)

Coinbase’s CEO #Brian #Armstrong has led the latest charge to bring crypto into the political mainstream,
hosting a Super Tuesday rally with Nas in Los Angeles where he proclaimed,
“More Americans own crypto than own electric vehicles or are in a union
— yet some people in D.C. are still underestimating how much and how many people care about crypto.

In 2024, it will become clear that being anti-crypto is bad politics.”

Rep. #Katie #Porter found that out the hard way.

During the California Democratic Senate primary, ⚠️Fairshake spent over $10 million against her campaign, apparently because she had the temerity to question the energy uses of the industry.

Porter didn’t make the runoff, losing to Adam Schiff, a longtime collaborator with crypto who received an ‘A’ rating from "Stand With Crypto", a self-described grassroots advocacy hub nonprofit led by Coinbase and fronted by Armstrong.

Porter got an ‘F.’
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/sherrod-brown-crypto-bernie-moreno-millions-1235102478/

Crypto Comes For Sherrod Brown:

$32 Million in Ads Boosting His Opponent

Crypto companies are spending $800,000 a day to take out one of their chief critics in Congress — and replace him with an ally

Late 2023 was not a great time for the crypto industry.

In November, #Sam #Bankman-#Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, learned that no amount of Michael Lewis gymnastics could save him from being convicted on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.

He was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison after disappearing $11 billion of other people’s money.

The following month, Sen. #Elizabeth #Warren sent letters to three crypto industry giants, the 🔸Blockchain Association, 🔸Coin Center, and 🔸Coinbase, criticizing them for undermining efforts to rein in crypto’s use in #terrorist #financing.

Around the same time, crypto groups began making noises about ♦️spending money in 2024 to defeat Ohio Sen. #Sherrod #Brown, the current ⭐️chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

❇️ Brown is a profound skeptic of the industry and signed off on Warren holding hearings on crypto’s possible links to terrorism.

Asked about the threats, Brown, a mop-topped Democrat with a raspy voice and wry sense of humor, said he was unconcerned.

But Brown had no idea of what was to come.

Rolling Stone has learned that crypto interests are set to spend💥 $32 million on TV ads promoting #Bernie #Moreno, Brown’s Republican opponent, by the end of September, according to Democratic media buyers.

The spending began on August 22
— meaning 🔥the crypto interests are spending more than $800,000 per day to flip the Ohio Senate seat, and potentially control of the Senate.

“Outside groups are spending record amounts to try to defeat Sherrod because they know he will always fight for Ohio, not special interests,” said Reeves Oyster, a Brown campaign spokesperson.

So far, the ads have been primarily fluffy positive spots boosting Moreno; some of the spots fearmonger about immigrants and China.

Tracing the roots of "Defend American Jobs" can be as convoluted as tracing crypto currency itself.

The group is effectively a subsidiary of #Fairshake
— the second-largest fundraiser among Super PACs this season according to OpenSecrets,
with over $200 million in its coffers.

♦️The bulk of Fairshake’s money has been donated by three crypto monoliths: Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ripple.

#Coinbase and its affiliates have donated $86 million.

The founders of the venture capital firm #Andreessen #Horowitz have together given $44 million.

#Ripple has contributed $25 million. (The #Winklevoss #Twins, who donated nearly $5 million to Fairshake, previously tried to donate $1 million in bitcoin to Donald Trump
— well beyond what is legal.)

Coinbase’s CEO #Brian #Armstrong has led the latest charge to bring crypto into the political mainstream,
hosting a Super Tuesday rally with Nas in Los Angeles where he proclaimed,
“More Americans own crypto than own electric vehicles or are in a union
— yet some people in D.C. are still underestimating how much and how many people care about crypto.

In 2024, it will become clear that being anti-crypto is bad politics.”

Rep. #Katie #Porter found that out the hard way.

During the California Democratic Senate primary, ⚠️Fairshake spent over $10 million against her campaign, apparently because she had the temerity to question the energy uses of the industry.

Porter didn’t make the runoff, losing to Adam Schiff, a longtime collaborator with crypto who received an ‘A’ rating from "Stand With Crypto", a self-described grassroots advocacy hub nonprofit led by Coinbase and fronted by Armstrong.

Porter got an ‘F.’
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/sherrod-brown-crypto-bernie-moreno-millions-1235102478/

Crypto Comes For Sherrod Brown:

$32 Million in Ads Boosting His Opponent

Crypto companies are spending $800,000 a day to take out one of their chief critics in Congress — and replace him with an ally

Late 2023 was not a great time for the crypto industry.

In November, #Sam #Bankman-#Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, learned that no amount of Michael Lewis gymnastics could save him from being convicted on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.

He was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison after disappearing $11 billion of other people’s money.

The following month, Sen. #Elizabeth #Warren sent letters to three crypto industry giants, the 🔸Blockchain Association, 🔸Coin Center, and 🔸Coinbase, criticizing them for undermining efforts to rein in crypto’s use in #terrorist #financing.

Around the same time, crypto groups began making noises about ♦️spending money in 2024 to defeat Ohio Sen. #Sherrod #Brown, the current ⭐️chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

❇️ Brown is a profound skeptic of the industry and signed off on Warren holding hearings on crypto’s possible links to terrorism.

Asked about the threats, Brown, a mop-topped Democrat with a raspy voice and wry sense of humor, said he was unconcerned.

But Brown had no idea of what was to come.

Rolling Stone has learned that crypto interests are set to spend💥 $32 million on TV ads promoting #Bernie #Moreno, Brown’s Republican opponent, by the end of September, according to Democratic media buyers.

The spending began on August 22
— meaning 🔥the crypto interests are spending more than $800,000 per day to flip the Ohio Senate seat, and potentially control of the Senate.

“Outside groups are spending record amounts to try to defeat Sherrod because they know he will always fight for Ohio, not special interests,” said Reeves Oyster, a Brown campaign spokesperson.

So far, the ads have been primarily fluffy positive spots boosting Moreno; some of the spots fearmonger about immigrants and China.

Tracing the roots of "Defend American Jobs" can be as convoluted as tracing crypto currency itself.

The group is effectively a subsidiary of #Fairshake
— the second-largest fundraiser among Super PACs this season according to OpenSecrets,
with over $200 million in its coffers.

♦️The bulk of Fairshake’s money has been donated by three crypto monoliths: Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ripple.

#Coinbase and its affiliates have donated $86 million.

The founders of the venture capital firm #Andreessen #Horowitz have together given $44 million.

#Ripple has contributed $25 million. (The #Winklevoss #Twins, who donated nearly $5 million to Fairshake, previously tried to donate $1 million in bitcoin to Donald Trump
— well beyond what is legal.)

Coinbase’s CEO #Brian #Armstrong has led the latest charge to bring crypto into the political mainstream,
hosting a Super Tuesday rally with Nas in Los Angeles where he proclaimed,
“More Americans own crypto than own electric vehicles or are in a union
— yet some people in D.C. are still underestimating how much and how many people care about crypto.

In 2024, it will become clear that being anti-crypto is bad politics.”

Rep. #Katie #Porter found that out the hard way.

During the California Democratic Senate primary, ⚠️Fairshake spent over $10 million against her campaign, apparently because she had the temerity to question the energy uses of the industry.

Porter didn’t make the runoff, losing to Adam Schiff, a longtime collaborator with crypto who received an ‘A’ rating from "Stand With Crypto", a self-described grassroots advocacy hub nonprofit led by Coinbase and fronted by Armstrong.

Porter got an ‘F.’
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/sherrod-brown-crypto-bernie-moreno-millions-1235102478/

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Files Appeal to Overturn Fraud Conviction - Mr. Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was convicte... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/technology/ftx-sam-bankman-fried-appeal.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Crypto Lobbyist Charged With Breaking Campaign Finance Rules - The charges against Michelle Bond, the former head of a crypto industry trade group, are ... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/technology/ftx-crypto-campaign-finance.html #unitedstatespoliticsandgovernment #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #politicalactioncommittees #lobbyingandlobbyists #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #lawandlegislation #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #campaignfinance #longisland(ny)

Report: Family at the Center of Sam Bankman-Fried’s Campaign Contributions - Sam Bankman-Fried’s political donation activities were allegedly a family affair, ... - https://news.bitcoin.com/report-family-at-the-center-of-sam-bankman-frieds-campaign-contributions/ #gabrielbankman-fried #politicaldonations #straw-donorscheme #campaignfinance #bankman-fried #barbarafried #nishadsingh #joebankman #ryansalame #news #ftx

Ryan Salame, FTX Executive, Gets Seven and a Half Year Prison Sentence - Ryan Salame, the head of FTX’s subsidiary in the Bahamas, was the first of Sam Bankman-Fr... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/technology/ryan-salame-ftx-executive-sentenced.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #prisonsandprisoners #fraudsandswindling #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #campaignfinance #salameryan

Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX Founder, Transferred From Brooklyn Jail - The FTX founder’s final destination wasn’t clear, but Mr. Bankman-Fried has told people c... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/technology/sam-bankman-fried-transferred-jail.html #metropolitandetentioncenter(brooklynny) #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #federalbureauofprisons #prisonsandprisoners #fraudsandswindling #entrepreneurship #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #mendota(calif)

FTX Customers Poised to Recover All Funds Lost in Collapse - Bankruptcy lawyers for FTX said that customers of the cryptocurrency exchange were set to... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/business/ftx-bankruptcy-recovery.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #suitsandlitigation(civil) #bitcoin(currency) #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #bankruptcies #e-commerce

Binance’s Founder Plans a Comeback Even as He Faces Prison Time - Since pleading guilty to violating money-laundering rules, Changpeng Zhao, who ran the gi... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/technology/changpeng-zhao-binance-crypto.html #bankingandfinancialinstitutions #biotechnologyandbioengineering #computersandtheinternet #artificialintelligence #decisionsandverdicts #prisonsandprisoners #entrepreneurship #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #moneylaundering #altmansamuelh #binance

Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison - Mr. Bankman-Fried, who was convicted of stealing $8 billion from customers of his FTX cry... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/technology/sam-bankman-fried-sentenced.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #prisonsandprisoners #sentences(criminal) #fraudsandswindling #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #start-ups

The biggest financial frauds ever – from Sam Bankman-Fried to Bernie Madoff
https://qz.com/financial-frauds-sam-bankman-fried-bernie-madoff-enron-1851367680
#ycombinator #Sam_Bankman_Fried #Bernie_Madoff #Bankman #Business #Finance #Corporate_crime #Ramesh_Balwani #MCI_Inc #BlockFi #Verizon #Enron #Joseph_Bankman #Scott_Sullivan #Cryptocurrency_exchange #WorldCom #AMERICAN_TELECOM #Kenneth_Lay #Bernard_Ebbers #Accounting_scandals #Netflix #Elizabeth_Holmes #Cynthia_Cooper #Theranos #Law #Crime #FTX #Houston_Natural_Gas #Quartz

Prosecutors Demand 50 Years for Bankman-Fried, Citing FTX Founder’s Repeated Gambles ‘With Other People’s Money’ - In a statement from U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and his team, the fallen FTX fou... - https://news.bitcoin.com/prosecutors-demand-50-years-for-bankman-fried-citing-ftx-founders-repeated-gambles-with-other-peoples-money/ #sambankman-fried #bankman-fried #sentencingsbf #ftxexchange #legal #ftx #sbf

Prosecutors Say Sam Bankman-Fried Should Get 40 to 50 Years in Jail - Mr. Bankman-Fried, who was convicted of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, faces a max... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/15/technology/sam-bankman-fried-sentencing.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #ethicsandofficialmisconduct #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #prisonsandprisoners #fraudsandswindling #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #bankruptcies

Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Lenient Sentence and to Appeal Conviction - Since the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul was convicted of fraud last year, his supporters... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/technology/sam-bankman-fried-fraud-ftx.html #metropolitandetentioncenter(brooklynny) #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #sentences(criminal) #friedbarbara(1951-) #fraudsandswindling #lawandlegislation #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #bankruptcies

Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Lenient Sentence and to Appeal Conviction - Since the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul was convicted of fraud last year, his supporters... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/technology/sam-bankman-fried-fraud-ftx.html #metropolitandetentioncenter(brooklynny) #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #sentences(criminal) #friedbarbara(1951-) #fraudsandswindling #lawandlegislation #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #bankruptcies

Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Lenient Sentence and to Appeal Conviction - Since the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul was convicted of fraud last year, his supporters... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/technology/sam-bankman-fried-fraud-ftx.html #metropolitandetentioncenter(brooklynny) #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #sentences(criminal) #friedbarbara(1951-) #fraudsandswindling #lawandlegislation #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #bankruptcies

Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Lenient Sentence and to Appeal Conviction - Since the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul was convicted of fraud last year, his supporters... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/technology/sam-bankman-fried-fraud-ftx.html #metropolitandetentioncenter(brooklynny) #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #sentences(criminal) #friedbarbara(1951-) #fraudsandswindling #lawandlegislation #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #bankruptcies

Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Lenient Sentence and to Appeal Conviction - Since the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul was convicted of fraud last year, his supporters... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/technology/sam-bankman-fried-fraud-ftx.html #metropolitandetentioncenter(brooklynny) #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #sentences(criminal) #friedbarbara(1951-) #fraudsandswindling #lawandlegislation #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #bankruptcies

The Best and Worst of Tech: Smartphones, Self-Driving Cars, More - The best tech, from universal power charging to foldable phones, solved practical problem... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/10/technology/personaltech/tech-smartphones-self-driving-cars.html #driverlessandsemiautonomousvehicles #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #wirelesscommunications #twothousandtwentythree #twothousandtwentyfour #cellulartelephones #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #cruisellc

The Hot New Market in Crypto? Trading FTX’s Carcass. - Investors are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on FTX bankruptcy claims, betting ... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/technology/crypto-trading-ftx-bankruptcy.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #bankingandfinancialinstitutions #compensationfordamages(law) #computersandtheinternet #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #hedgefunds

The Hot New Market in Crypto? Trading FTX’s Carcass. - Investors are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on FTX bankruptcy claims, betting ... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/technology/the-hot-new-market-in-crypto-trading-ftxs-carcass.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #bankingandfinancialinstitutions #compensationfordamages(law) #computersandtheinternet #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #hedgefunds

Praxis Founder Dryden Brown’s Utopian Visions - Dryden Brown wants Praxis to be a crypto-city for tech bros and tastemakers. Just don’t a... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/12/style/praxis-city-dryden-brown.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #contenttype:personalprofile #fringegroupsandmovements #highnetworthindividuals #computersandtheinternet #internal-great-read #internal-sub-only #soho(manhattanny) #bankman-friedsam #mediterraneansea #venturecapital #neonazigroups #praxis

The Power Vacuum at the Top of the Crypto Industry - A year ago, Sam Bankman-Fried and Changpeng Zhao ran two of the largest crypto companies.... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/technology/crypto-industry-power-vacuum.html #regulationandderegulationofindustry #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #bankingandfinancialinstitutions #computersandtheinternet #armstrongbrian(1983-) #bitcoin(currency) #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #zhaochangpeng #blackrockinc #socialmedia #coinbaseinc

Sam Bankman-Fried Was a Grown Up Criminal, Not an Impulsive Man-Child - Investors bought into the perception of the FTX founder as an unkempt boy genius. The jur... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/nyregion/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-trial-cryptocurrency.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #financialdistrict(manhattanny) #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #belfortjordanross #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #milkenmichaelr #kaplanlewisa

Silicon Valley Shrugs Off Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial - Tech investors lauded Mr. Bankman-Fried and helped fund his FTX crypto exchange. The tech... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/technology/sam-bankman-fried-silicon-valley.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #artificialintelligence #decisionsandverdicts #andreessenhorowitz #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #andreessenmarcl #venturecapital #sequoiacapital #kaplanlewisa #start-ups

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Wild Rise and Abrupt Crash - The crypto king gambled that his trading platform would make him a benevolent trillionair... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/technology/sam-bankman-fried-rise-crash.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #computerandvideogames #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #entrepreneurship #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Sam Bankman-Fried Is Found Guilty of 7 Counts of Fraud and Conspiracy - The case against the founder of the failed FTX exchange had come to symbolize the excesse... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/technology/sam-bankman-fried-fraud-trial-ftx.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #bankingandfinancialinstitutions #computersandtheinternet #ellisoncaroline(1994-) #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #wangzixiao(gary) #virtualcurrency #witnesses

Sam Bankman-Fried Built FTX on a ‘Pyramid of Deceit,’ Prosecutor Says - The criminal fraud trial for the founder of the FTX crypto exchange has reached closing s... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/01/technology/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-trial.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #bankingandfinancialinstitutions #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency

Sam Bankman-Fried Denies Knowing FTX Money Was Missing, as He Concludes Testimony - The founder of the FTX crypto exchange was grilled by a federal prosecutor for a second d... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/31/technology/sam-bankman-fried-testify-ftx-money.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #bankingandfinancialinstitutions #computersandtheinternet #ellisoncaroline(1994-) #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #witnesses

Prosecutors Turn Sam Bankman-Fried’s Own Words Against Him - Asked during his cross-examination about his public statements and how he ran his crypto ... - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/technology/sam-bankman-fried-fraud-trial-cross-examination.html #hkftxtradingltd(futuresexchange) #computersandtheinternet #decisionsandverdicts #fraudsandswindling #alamedaresearchllc #bankman-friedsam #virtualcurrency #witnesses #start-ups #lying