U.S. Prosecutors Opened Probe of FTX Months Before Its Collapse

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, led by Damian Williams, spent several months working on a sweeping examination of crypto currency platforms with U.S. and offshore arms and had started poking into FTX’s massive exchange operations, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Previously, FTX filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection and its founder SBF resigned as chief executive, after rival exchange Binance walked away from a proposed acquisition.