Crypto.com Emerges as a Top Contender among Potential FTX Europe Buyers, However, the Bankruptcy Estate Refuses to Sell

**Title: FTX Bankruptcy Estate Launches $320 Million Lawsuit Against FTX Europe Executives**

**Subheading: Lawsuit Alleges Disastrous Business Decision and Misuse of Funds**

In mid-July, the FTX bankruptcy estate filed a $320 million lawsuit against the executives of FTX Europe, a subsidiary of the failed crypto exchange. Led by former Enron steward John Ray III, the debtor’s estate aims to recover funds for the exchange’s creditors, with FTX Europe being the latest target. The lawsuit claims that the initial acquisition of FTX Europe was a poor business decision driven by personal connections to FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and false claims of regulatory affiliations. However, documents and insider interviews suggest a different perspective.

**Subheading: FTX Europe’s Core Services and Acquisition Interest**

FTX Europe played a significant role in FTX’s operations, particularly in providing perpetual futures trading services to the European market. Despite FTX’s collapse, FTX Europe continued to attract tens of thousands of users and drew acquisition interest from companies like Crypto.com. However, FTX, burdened with over $3 billion in debt to numerous creditors, does not seem inclined to sell or relaunch FTX Europe. Instead, they plan to remove it from the bankruptcy proceedings for potential liquidation. This case highlights the complexity of the bankruptcy process and signals a new era for FTX.

**Subheading: The Story Behind FTX Europe’s Acquisition**

Before its acquisition, FTX Europe operated as Digital Assets DA AG, a Swiss company established in 2020. Its primary offering was a white-labeled service that enabled exchanges to offer tokenized stocks, a popular feature among crypto exchanges. DAAG also collaborated with Solana and Ethereum to develop tokenized stocks that could be traded like crypto tokens. It provided tokenized stock services to FTX, along with other exchanges like Binance and Bittrex. DAAG was in the process of partnering with Kraken as well.

Through the acquisition of a Cypriot company, DAAG had the opportunity to obtain a key operating license that would enable it to offer perpetual futures contracts across Europe. Perpetual futures contracts, known as “perps,” were already a popular product for FTX. FTX’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, pursued the acquisition to expand FTX’s perps to Europe and gain a competitive advantage. Financial statements reveal that DAAG had significant profits before FTX acquired it in November 2021.

**Subheading: Potential Buyers and Acquisition Interest**

FTX Europe’s unique ability to offer perps and its key license attracted potential buyers. According to the FTX estate’s investment bank, approximately 40 parties expressed interest in acquiring FTX Europe. Crypto.com’s executive vice president of operations, Mariana Gospodinova, communicated with FTX Europe’s administrator, Franco Lorandi, about a potential acquisition. However, Crypto.com later clarified that they were not interested in acquiring FTX Europe or any other FTX entity. Other interested parties included Wei Zhou, the CEO of Coins.ph exchange, and FTX FDM, the Bahamian entity of FTX under the control of liquidators appointed by the Supreme Court of the Bahamas.

The FTX bankruptcy estate claims that their professional advisors spent months exploring a potential sale of FTX Europe but found no viable options. They deemed a sale unlikely to materialize, leading them to pursue legal action against FTX Europe’s executives instead.

**Subheading: Lawsuit Allegations and Counter Arguments**

The FTX bankruptcy estate’s lawsuit alleges that FTX pursued the acquisition of DAAG due to personal associations with Sam Bankman-Fried, despite DAAG having limited business prospects. The estate claims that FTX overpaid nearly $400 million for the acquisition and failed to conduct sufficient regulatory due diligence. However, a valuation report conducted by the accounting firm BDO concluded that the acquisition was consummated at fair value by unrelated parties. The estate argues that the report’s assumption of fair value based on an arms-length transaction does not validate the allegedly fraudulent nature of the deal.

The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of using the acquisition’s proceeds and subsequent payouts to fund a luxurious lifestyle, potentially qualifying as fraudulent transfers. Interviews and documents, however,challenge the bankruptcy estate’s characterization of the acquisition as a disastrous business decision.

**Subheading: Analyzing the Lawsuit and Potential Outcomes**

Legal experts view the lawsuit as a strategic move by the bankruptcy estate to maximize the recovery of funds. By targeting FTX Europe’s executives, the estate aims to recoup as much money as possible from the $400 million acquisition. The estate may consider selling FTX Europe later, although the recent sale of LedgerX for $50 million suggests that the recovery may not meet their expectations.

Restructuring partners and attorneys emphasize the duty of debtors to maximize financial value for creditors. The bankruptcy estate’s decision to retain FTX Europe and continue its operations may be driven by the belief that it offers the best chance of maximizing recovery. FTX’s recent draft plan to launch a rebooted offshore platform further demonstrates their resolve to operate despite the bankruptcy proceedings.

In conclusion, the lawsuit filed by the FTX bankruptcy estate against FTX Europe’s executives sheds light on the complexity of the bankruptcy process and the estate’s pursuit of recovery. While the allegations of a disastrous business decision and misuse of funds remain contentious, the outcome of the lawsuit and FTX Europe’s fate will significantly impact the future of the embattled crypto exchange.