From Crypto to Carp: Disgraced FTX Founder Trades Fish for Prison Services

Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of crypto exchange FTX, has reportedly been trading mackerel fish, a popular currency among inmates, to pay for services while awaiting sentencing on felony charges. Bankman-Fried, who faces up to 110 years in prison, has quickly adapted to the economic system of the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York. The use of mackerel as currency in federal prisons has been prevalent since 2004, after cigarettes were banned. The trend of using stable food items as a means of exchange substitutes for inaccessible currency and has gained popularity among inmates.