Crypto exchange FTX saw $6 bln in withdrawals in 72 hours - CEO message to staff

Things were mostly average until this weekend, a few days ago," Bankman-Fried wrote in a message to staff sent on Tuesday morning. "In the last 72 hours, we've had roughly $6b of net withdrawals from FTX." Withdrawals at FTX.com are "effectively paused", he wrote, adding that would be resolved in "the near future". FTX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Crypto exchange FTX saw around $6 billion of withdrawals in the 72 hours before Tuesday morning, according to a message to staff sent by its CEO Sam Bankman-Fried that was seen by Reuters.

The boss of major rival Binance said on Tuesday it has signed a non-binding agreement to buy FTX's non-U.S. unit, FTX.com, to help cover a "liquidity crunch" at FTX. "On an average day, we have tens of millions of dollars of net in/outflows. Things were mostly average until this weekend, a few days ago," Bankman-Fried wrote in a message to staff sent on Tuesday morning.

"In the last 72 hours, we've had roughly $6b of net withdrawals from FTX." Withdrawals at FTX.com are "effectively paused", he wrote, adding that would be resolved in "the near future".

FTX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.