A U.S. bankruptcy judge gave the go-ahead for cryptocurrency exchange FTX to sell its stake in AI startup Anthropic during a hearing on Thursday. Doing so would help creditors of the collapsed exchange get closer to being repaid in full.
Judge John Dorsey of Delaware Bankruptcy Court granted the motion for sale after hearing from creditors on whether the sale process should be approved.
Earlier this month, FTX applied for permission to sell its nearly 8% stake in Anthropic, which saw its jailed former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried invest $500 million in 2021.
The judge heard some objections from David Adler, who claimed to represent some of FTX's creditors who were concerned about retaining their rights. This issue was later addressed by adjusting the order text to include language regarding creditors' rights.
"We are selling our shares in Anthropic just like we would if we were selling everything and putting the money in the bank," Andrew Dietderich, a lawyer representing FTX, said at the hearing. "I think it's a question of whether Mr. Adler's clients have any interest in Anthropic's proceeds and any There is no distinction between the disposition of our rights to other property, if any, and the disposition of any of our interests in other property, all of which go into the commingled non-segregated account.”
Ultimately, Judge Dorsey said the proposed order was "appropriate". (The Block)