The Alameda gap and crypto liquidity crisis explained

cointelegraph.com:

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.

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