The former CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, had so much data in his laptop that the FBI and Department of Justice are having difficulties in analyzing it. A privilege review, which looks into what data is usable in the case, has been held up due to the sheer amount of contents in the laptop, and the process of retrieving Bankman-Fried’s messages from Slack reportedly takes weeks for prosecutors. In addition, the DOJ has provided six million pages of evidence in relation to the case. It is unknown whether the delays are caused by encryption and privacy, or solely the amount of data.

The tech mogul was charged with 13 federal indictments, including violation of anti-bribery laws related to China, and may be facing a potential 115 years in jail. However, court proceedings have been going on, and the main trial is scheduled for October. The former CEO has already been restricted in his use of certain apps, likely referring to encrypted messaging apps.

The challenge the FBI is facing in processing Bankman-Fried’s laptop data is more than likely caused by the sheer amount of information. Prosecution teams are taking weeks to just retrieve the relevant messages from Slack, and the DOJ has been providing evidence 6 million pages at a time. This issue is indicative of the complexity and difficulty in dealing with large amounts of crypto data and how it is increasingly important for firms involved with digital assets to maintain secure systems.



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