Crypto Twitter explodes on news of Sam Bankman-Fried’s arrest

Crypto Twitter exploded over the shocking news of Sam Bankman-Fried’s arrest in the Bahamas, many of which weren’t expecting it to happen so soon.

On December 12, the disgraced FTX founder was arrested by the Royal Bahamian Police after receiving notification from the US government that criminal charges had been filed against him.

Within hours, politicians, cryptocurrency executives and influencers were launching their Twitter apps to comment on the arrest of the former FTX CEO.

New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has held a fairly neutral opinion on the cryptocurrency industry to date, told her 13.4 million Twitter followers that Bankman-Fried was a step in the right direction. direction toward “justice served,” but noted that the arrest would likely postpone Bankman-Fried’s testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, which was scheduled for Dec. 13.

Bankman-Fried was due to testify before the House tomorrow. Tonight he was arrested.

While I’m disappointed that we won’t have the opportunity to present our line of questioning, we look forward to more information coming to light and justice being served in this case. https://t.co/HS9u1n5Kur

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 13, 2022

US Senator and sponsor of the Lummis-Gillibrand Crypto Bill Cynthia Lummis was also pleased to hear the news, saying on Twitter that prosecutors made the right decision to hold Bankman-Fried accountable for the “good old-fashioned fraud ” which he allegedly pledged.

What happened to FTX appears to be good old-fashioned fraud, and I’m glad prosecutors investigated what happened to ensure that everyone who committed crimes is held accountable for what they did.

— Senator Cynthia Lummis (@SenLummis) December 13, 2022

Fellow US Senator and cryptoskeptic Elizabeth Warren agreed with Lummis’ views, stating in a Dec. 13 tweet to his 7 million Twitter followers that the U.S. Justice Department needs to hold more corporate executives accountable for breaking the law.

Others took the opportunity to shed some light on the situation. Into The Cryptoverse CEO and founder Benjamin Cowen used ChatGPT to create poems about Bankman-Fried’s latest situation.

“Write a poem about SBF, the CEO of FTX, who was arrested in the Bahamas for wire fraud.” pic.twitter.com/OWMXlhcqPt

— Benjamin Cowen (@intocryptoverse) December 13, 2022

Meanwhile, memes are already making the rounds on Twitter..

Sam Bankman-Fried finally goes to prison. pic.twitter.com/i2JqL7JiD6

— DRE THE NOID (@THEGOONEEZ) December 13, 2022

Bankman-Fried’s Twitter posts and media appearances after FTX’s stunning fall in November are also buzzed about.

Co-host of Not Investment Advice Trung Phan said his 538,000 Twitter followers on Dec. 13 that Bankman-Fried’s erratic public behavior will make life more difficult for his defense attorney, while others believe Bankman-Fried’s arrest will likely see him point the finger at other colleagues and individuals related to the FTX debacle, including those who received his large political donations.

Related: BF Tried to Destabilize Crypto Market to Save FTX: Report

In his likely last Twitter Spaces interview with Unusual Whales on Dec. 12, Bankman-Fried stated, “I don’t think I’m going to be arrested” when pressed about the possibility of being arrested.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force made the arrest following formal notification by the United States that it has filed criminal charges against Bankman-Fried, which was officially announced by the Bahamas Attorney General’s Office in a Dec. 12 statement.