The Alameda gap and crypto liquidity crisis explained

FTX collapse: Unraveling the cryptocurrency crisis of November 2022

In November 2022, the cryptocurrency world was rocked by the collapse of FTX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. The collapse was triggered by a liquidity crisis at FTX, which was caused by a combination of factors, including mismanagement of customer funds and risky trading practices by FTX’s sister company, Alameda Research.

The collapse of FTX had a ripple effect across the crypto market, causing a sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices, a drain of liquidity and a loss of confidence in the crypto industry. It also raised serious questions about the safety and security of customer funds on cryptocurrency exchanges. The crypto industry’s lack of risk management standards was exposed through the crisis. 

FTX has filed for bankruptcy, revealing a debt of over $3 billion to its creditors. Additionally, the exchange is unable to locate approximately $8.9 billion worth of customer assets. The exact amount of money lost by customers is difficult to determine, as some customers may have been able to withdraw their funds before the exchange suspended withdrawals. However, it is estimated that customers lost billions of dollars in the FTX crash.

The collapse of FTX caused a sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices. The total market capitalization of the crypto market fell from over $1 trillion in November 2022 to under $800 billion in December 2022. This represents a market collapse of over $200 billion in dollar terms.

Sam Bankman-Fried’s strategic path

SBF saw an opportunity to create wealth at an unparalleled pace by combining the ICO method of token creation and subsequent leveraging.

SBF saw an opportunity to profit by creating a new cryptocurrency exchange that would exploit the shortcomings of existing exchanges. Bankman-Fried began by setting up a quantitative trading firm called Alameda Research. 

Alameda Research used sophisticated algorithms to trade cryptocurrencies on a variety of exchanges. Alameda Research was very successful, and it quickly became one of the largest cryptocurrency traders in the world.

In 2019, Bankman-Fried launched FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange designed to be more user-friendly and efficient than existing exchanges. FTX also offered a number of features that were not available on other exchanges, such as margin trading and derivatives trading. However, none of the regulatory controls typically needed by mainstream financial services trading platforms were addressed.

Relationship between FTX and Alameda Research

FTX and Alameda Research were closely linked. Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison were the CEOs of FTX and Alameda Research respectively. However, Bankman-Fried controlled a majority of the shares in both companies. Alameda Research also used FTX as its primary exchange.

The close relationship between FTX and Alameda Research allowed Bankman-Fried to engage in a variety of fraudulent activities, including:

• Misappropriating customer funds: Bankman-Fried transferred customer funds from FTX to Alameda Research without the customer’s consent. He used these funds to cover Alameda Research’s losses and to fund his own lavish lifestyle.
• Manipulating the cryptocurrency market: Alameda Research used its large trading volume to manipulate the prices of cryptocurrencies on FTX. This allowed Bankman-Fried to profit from insider trading.
• Offering fraudulent financial products: FTX, under Bankman-Fried’s leadership, offered unregulated financial products like margin and derivatives trading. This lack of oversight allowed him to defraud customers by selling these products without disclosing the associated risks.

FTX scam and Alameda gap unveiled

The scam began to unravel in November 2022 when it was revealed that Alameda Research held a large position in FTT, the native token of FTX. 

The report sparked a sell-off of FTX Token (FTT), which caused the token’s price to plummet. It also raised concerns about the financial health of Alameda Research and FTX. This led to a liquidity crisis at FTX, as customers rushed to withdraw their funds from the exchange. 

FTX was unable to meet the withdrawal demands, and it was forced to suspend withdrawals. FTX also filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022. The collapse of FTX had a devastating impact on the crypto market. 

In November, a significant decrease in liquidity within the crypto market was coined as the “Alameda gap” by blockchain data firm Kaiko. This term emerged due to the notable role played by Alameda Research, the largest market maker during that period. 

The Alameda Gap represented a substantial decline in available liquidity,…