The FTX exchange, which is in bankruptcy proceedings, обратилась to the court for protection of a package of 56 million Robinhood Markets shares (worth about $448 million) from creditors.
According to the filing, the securities were acquired and controlled by the brokerage Emergent Fidelity Technologie, which is 90% owned by founder and former FTX chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried.
The exchange’s lawyers, in the petition, acknowledged that the latter had treated the personal assets and funds of the companies under his control as interchangeable.
Creditors affiliated with FTX’s Alameda Research — the crypto-lending platform BlockFi (also undergoing bankruptcy proceedings) — and investor Jonathan Ben Shimon, have claims on the package.
BlockFi’s claim was based on a statement by former Alameda head Caroline Ellison that the shares are part of collateral for the platform’s loan. The two companies had cooperated for three years.
Ben Shimon grounded his claims on a court ruling in Antigua and Barbuda concerning the liquidation of one of FTX’s subsidiaries.
«The fact that numerous creditors of the debtors and Bankman-Fried are attempting to seize the Robinhood shares indicates that the assets should be frozen until the court resolves the issues in a manner fair to all stakeholders», — says the exchange in its statement.
As previously reported, Ellison, along with FTX co-founder Gary Wang, pleaded guilty to charges related to the collapse of the company.
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