U.S. financial regulators are investigating whether the beleaguered crypto exchange FTX.com properly handled customer funds, as well as its relationship with other parts of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire, according to people familiar with the matter.

The inquiries by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission relate to the liquidity crisis that has pushed FTX to the brink, according to three people familiar with the matter. The SEC's scrutiny started months ago as a probe into FTX US and its crypto-lending activities, said two of the people, who who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

FTX's turmoil led to a tentative rescue offer by rival exchange Binance Holdings Ltd., which now may balk as the scope of FTX's distress becomes more apparent. American regulators are also looking into the platform's relationship with its American counterpart FTX US and Bankman-Fried's trading house Alameda Research, two of the people said.  

Source : www.americanbanker.com/articles/u-s-probes-ftx-empire-over-handling-of-client-funds-and-lending undefined - November 09, 2022