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Elizabeth Lopatto

Elizabeth Lopatto

Senior Reporter

Elizabeth Lopatto is a senior writer at The Verge, where she covers how the internet is changing how we think about money: cryptocurrency, business, fintech and Elon Musk for some reason.

She joined the site in 2014, as science editor, then deputy editor running science, transportation and social media, before she got tired of being an authority figure and went back to blogging.

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Youtube
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to be a criminal.”

Netflix has released a trailer for its new crypto documentary, Bitconned, about the rise and fall of Centra Tech, a scam that was part of the wave of initial coin offerings in 2017. The blowback from the scheme caught DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweather, who had promoted it — they were fined by the SEC. Ray Trapani, one of the co-founders, appears to be a key narrator of the Netflix documentary.


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Nerd alert!

Here’s a fun profile of Gary Gensler, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, with a lot of details on his approach to enforcement (“Though you might think otherwise, I don’t spend the majority of my time on crypto,” he says). Don’t worry, there’s even an explanation of his genuinely weird social media antics.


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The bankruptcy experts weigh in on WeWork.

I am theoretically on vacation (🌴) but this was too good not to share. Please enjoy!


💥WE💥

[petition.substack.com]

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The Verge
Ask us anything: Liz Lopatto and CoinDesk’s Danny Nelson answer your questions about the Sam Bankman-Fried trial at 4PM New York time.

We’ve got the goss on early wake-ups, lawyer fashion, courtroom sketches, and other pressing matters. Go ahead and leave a question here if you’ve got one... [Arnold voice] I’ll be back.


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That defense amounted to SBF saying, “I’m innocent because my customers were dumb enough to believe me.”

Kevin Dugan’s overview really sums it up: stripped of the affectations, we discovered there wasn’t much to Sam Bankman-Fried at all.


The Real SBF Stood Up

[Intelligencer]

Sam Bankman-Fried gambled on a trial and his parents lost

Over five weeks, the FTX founder’s parents watched from the galleys — deluded, humiliated, and finally, defeated.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is guilty of fraud

The trial could have huge implications for the crypto industry. Stay up to date as The Verge covers the trial from the Manhattan court.

Closing time for Sam Bankman-Fried

Mistakes aren’t illegal, but fraud is — and Bankman-Fried’s lawyers never made his defense land.

Sam Bankman-Fried didn’t ask where the $8 billion went

His employees told him he ‘should stop asking questions because it was distracting.’