It appears now that Sam Bankman-Fried’s playing days may be over.
This, as US prosecutors are seeking stricter restrictions on the former FTX CEO’s use of electronic devices.
A federal judge imposed new bail restrictions on SBF on Tuesday after finding that the former crypto exchange big boss had been using a virtual private network (VPN) to watch football for the past few weeks.
Under the proposed measures, Bankman-Fried will be restricted from using mobile phones, computers, tablets and the internet, with very limited exceptions for studying pre-trial materials, accessing email and contacting lawyers.
The purpose of the ban is to reduce the possibility of Bankman-Fried destroying evidence or communicating with others to obstruct legal proceedings.
No More Video Games For Sam Bankman-Fried?
The restriction, of course, also means game over for Bankman-Fried, who is known for his love of video games, especially “League of Legends.”
He tweeted in February 2021 that they were “famous” for playing online games together “on the phone.”
According to the statement, he was also spotted playing the game in a pitch meeting with investors from Sequoia Capital.
“SBF is playing League of Legends when FTX crumbles around him and the authorities close to you can’t make this,” Parik Patel, a crypto parody account, said on Twitter in November last year.
Patel even uploaded a picture of what he called Bankman-Fried participating in a League match.
According to people close to SBF, he likes to play video games to relax and clear his mind.
His participation in the gaming sector has contributed to his reputation as a tech-savvy entrepreneur with a love for the gaming industry.
US Authorities Are Uncomfortable With VPNs
VPNs allow internet users to hide their location, preventing governments from monitoring the websites and data they access.
Although it can be used for good purposes, authorities say it can also be used to access foreign crypto sites that restrict US users — including the dark web, to wit.
US authorities have been monitoring Sam Bankman-Fried 24/7 even though he is under house arrest with his mother and father at home in California.
Outside, gun-toting government agents in colorful SUVs patrol the neighborhood. A chopper can sometimes be seen hovering overhead; it’s an ‘eye in the sky’, some reports say.
Crypto total market cap at $1 trillion on the daily chart | Chart: TradingView.com
Inside the house, Bankman-Fried walks freely, but wears an electronic device attached to her ankle to monitor her movements.
You must be a very important person to have all eyes and ears around you.
Members of the cryptocurrency community were outraged after the bail conditions of Sam Bankman-Fried were revealed.
SBF will spend Christmas at home with his parents playing video games instead of being locked in a cell. What kind of justice is that?
— Layah Heilpern (@LayahHeilpern) December 23, 2022
Will Sam Bankman-Fried Re-Spawn And Become Powerful Again?
SBF, once one of the rising stars of the world’s vast list of billionaires, can have the facilities it wants under its control, because – why not?
He definitely still has the power to get it. Or, maybe not this time.
Annie, The Dark Child, League of Legends. Image: Gamers Decide.
As Nocturne (Eternal Nightmare) from League of Legends would say: “Print him out of this world!”
Now, US authorities are doing the same to Bankman-Fried and Co.
However, Annie, The Dark Child, said it best: “Beated by a little girl.”
-Images shown are from The Live Mirror