Lawyers Request for SBF to Increase Adderall or He May Not Stand Trial

The explosive SBF trial has moved onto its third week, with the crypto community still reeling from last week’s revelations coming from Bankman-Fried’s ex-partner Caroline Ellison. With just under a month left to go, there is plenty more to be uncovered surrounding the calamitous collapse of the crypto exchange FTX. Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO and founder of the trading platform is currently facing multiple fraud charges.

Uncertainty Surrounds SBF’s Testimony as Defence Team Claims He Needs Adderall

To date, the prosecution team has largely been on the attack, with the court hearing several witnesses testifying against SBF and his actions as CEO of FTX. However, whether or not Bankman-Fried will actually take a stand and defend himself remains in limbo, as his defence team has input a formal request to up SBF’s Adderall dosage.

The former founder of FTX is currently allowed one dose of Adderall – but according to his lawyers, the effects wear off “by the time the trial starts at 9:30 a.m.”. This may end up leaving SBF unfocussed, somewhat incoherent and unable to accurately represent himself in front of a jury. The alternative, his lawyers have posited, is a slow-release form of Adderall which will continue working through most of the trial.

Even if SBF is granted an increased dosage by the New York Bureau of Prisons (where he is currently incarcerated), there is no guarantee that he will testify. Given how willing he was to talk with the media immediately following FTX’s collapse, it will be interesting to see how his story has shifted – if he takes the stand at all.

SBF and Team’s Behaviour Raises Eyebrows

During last week’s proceedings, the behaviour of crypto’s most notorious celebrity raised a few eyebrows. The much-anticipated testimony of Bankman-Fried’s on-again/off-again girlfriend and former co-worker, Caroline Ellison, was met with derision by SBF. The WSJ reported that prosecutors were forced to admonish SBF for having “laughed, visibly shaken his head, and scoffed” throughout Ellison’s statements. Similarly, SBF’s defense team has called so many sidebars that the judge has had to scold them and tell them to stop. 

Meanwhile, another former FTX executive – Nishad Singh – added to the testimonies that SBF intentionally funneled $8 billion worth of customer funds to help rescue Alameda Research from bankruptcy. Singh went on to claim that SBF would often dismiss protests from within his inner circle about FTX and Alameda’s risky investments. In particular, Singh stated that SBF made a number of investments not out of financial prudence, but rather to gain sway with high-profile politicians, celebrities and businesspeople.