MARIA: WELCOME BACK.
DEMOCRAT CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE
WATERS PRAISING FTX FOUNDER SAM
BANKMAN-FRIED FOR HIS, QUOTE,
CANDID PRESS INTERVIEWS.
THE CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE
TWEETING AT SBF, QUOTE, WE
APPRECIATE THAT YOU’VE BEEN
CANDID IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED AT FTX.
YOUR WILLINGNESS TO TALK TO THE
PUBLIC WILL HELP THE COMPANY’S
CUSTOMERS, INVESTORS AND OTHERS,
NO MENTION OF THE BILLION PLUS
MISSING OF INVESTOR MONEY P.
SBF RESPONDED TO WATERS SAYING
HE WILL TESTIFY BEFORE THE HOUSE
BUT MIGHT NOT BE DURING THE
HEARING ON DECEMBER 13th. JOINING ME NOW IS GSR YOU COULD
JOINING ME NOW IS GSR YOU COULD
YOUCO-FOUNDCO-FOUNDERAND PRESIDE
THIS IS QUITE RICH.
YOUR REACTION.
>> TO PUT IT SIMPLE.
HE’S A VERY SMART GENTLEMAN AND
HE’S ALSO A CRIMINAL.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT,
HE’S A GREAT ACTOR, WHEN
WATCHING HIP DO OTHER INTERVIEWS
BUT HE IS DOING ANYTHING HE CAN
TO KEEP HIMSELF OUT OF JAIL.
IF YOU SPEAK TO INSIDERS, ANYONE
WHO IS INSIDE THE BUSINESS, THE
MAN IS A CRIMINAL, HE IS LOOKING
TO SAVE HIMSELF.
MARIA: I MEAN, HAS MAXINE
WATERS TWEETED ABOUT THE MONEY
THAT SIS IS MISSING OF CUSTOMER
ACCOUNTS?
IS SHE SENTIMENTAL OR SENSITIVE
TO THE $2 BILLION THAT’S GONE
AND HAS GONE MISSING FROM
PEOPLE’S ACCOUNTS, NOW THEY’VE
GOT NOTHING?
I MEAN, THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE CLAIMS TO BE SEEKING AN
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER TO
INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED
LEADING UP TO FTX’S COLLAPSE.
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG TO THROW
MARTHA STEWART IN JAIL, BERNIE
MADOFF AND YET THIS GUY IS
GIVING INTERVIEWS ON THE PRESS
CIRCUIT AND LIVING A RICH LIFE
IN THE BAHAMAS.
>> YEAH.
I THINK WE’RE SEEING WHAT
DONATION TOSS THE HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OR BILLIONS CAN DO TO
SOFTEN THE STANCE FROM THE MEDIA
AND FROM THE POLITICIANS.
SO THERE’S A LOT OF VITRIOL IN
2008.
WHEN IT COMES TO CRYPTO, IT
SEEMS SHE HAS A SOFT SPOT FOR
SAM.
MARIA: WHAT DID HE DO?
HE DONATED A BILLION DOLLARS TO
DEMOCRATS.
ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE
MAXINE WATERS WHEN SHE SITS
THERE AND SHE STARTS QUESTIONING
HIM WHEN AND IF HE DOES TESTIFY?
>> NO, I THINK IT’S JUST
LUDICROUS.
I THINK IT’S PERFORMATIVE.
WE SHOULD GET BACK TO THE
HASHTAG OF LOCK HIM UP.
MARIA: BINANCE IS INVESTIGATING
A HACKING INCIDENT THAT AFFECTED
A NUMBER OF THEIR CRYPTO TOKENS.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN CRYPTO?
HOW DO YOU THINK THE FTX
COLLAPSE IS AFFECTING THE
BROADER INDUSTRY?
>> HE’LL WELL, IT’S CERTAINLY
NEGATIVE.
I THINK IT’S GOOD TO SET THE
STAGE THAT BITCOIN HAS BEEN THE
BEST PERFORMING ASSET OF THE
PAST 13 YEARS.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT VERSUS
PRE-PANDEMIC, STARTING 2020
VERSUS NOW BITCOIN IS UP NEARLY
250%.
COMPARE THAT TO THE STOCK
MARKET.
GOLD IS UP 15%.
IT’S SAD THAT IT’S DOWN 70%.
IT WAS PROBABLY PUSHED HIGHER BY
BAD ACTORS BY SAM BUT THERE’S
STILL A LOT OF VALUE HERE.
HERE I THINK BINANCE IS DOING
THE BEST IT CAN, IS A TRUE
LEADER IN THE INDUSTRY AND EVEN
IF THEY’RE TRYING TO NAVIGATE
UNCLEAR TERRITORY WITHOUT PROPER
REGULATIONS I THINK OVERALL A
VERY STRONG BALANCE SHEET AND
REALLY DOING WHAT THEY CAN.
GSR MY COMPANY IS PART OF THEIR
RECOVERY FUND, TOTAL OF OVER
$2 BILLION TO HELP BRING
LIQUIDITY TO GOOD COMPANIES IN
THE SPACE THAT NEED SOME HELP.
OVERALL I THINK THAT MOST OF THE
DAMAGE IS DONE.
IF THERE’S MORE SELLOFFS FROM
HERE IT’S THROUGH LIQUIDATIONS
OR PAIN IN MACRO I THINK THE
LONG-TERM VALUE IS THERE AND
WE’LL SEE IT COME BACK LIKE A
PHOENIX OUT OF THE ASHES.
MARIA: MORE WILL BE REVEALED