AIExchange
|4 min ReadBinance Misses $27B AI Jackpot: FTX Creditors Rugged
Maya Chen
Senior Analyst
Published
Feb 9, 2026
The crypto industry just realized it fumbled the bag of the century. While Binance founder CZ is legendary for his 2014 All-In Bitcoin bet—selling his Shanghai apartment to buy 1,500 BTC—a far larger fortune slipped through his fingers in November 2022.
The "House Money" vs. The "AI Empire"
In 2014, CZ made a high-conviction play that built the Binance empire. That 1,500 BTC stack, worth pennies then, became the foundation of his wealth.
However, the "deal that never happened" in 2022 would have dwarfed this return. When Binance walked away from acquiring FTX due to a "black hole" in their books, they inadvertently walked away from the most valuable Real World Asset (RWA) in modern tech history: a massive equity stake in AI giant Anthropic.
The 48 Hours That Cost $27 Billion
Rewind to November 9, 2022. The crypto world held its breath as SBF announced a strategic transaction with Binance to save the exchange.
CZ confirmed the non-binding LOI shortly after, intending to cover the liquidity crunch.
The deal collapsed within 24 hours. But buried in FTX's balance sheet was a 350 Billion amid the AI Supercycle, that single stake would be worth approximately $27.4 Billion.
Solvency Was One Signature Away
The math is brutal. The value of this Tokenized Equity alone would have covered the entire FTX Insolvency Gap, potentially making customers whole and pumping the $FTT recovery value.
TradFi Feasts on Crypto’s Fumble
Instead of holding, the FTX bankruptcy estate panic-sold the asset. In 2024, the bankruptcy team liquidated the Anthropic stake for a mere $1.3 Billion—a fraction of its current potential.
Who bought the dip? Traditional Finance (TradFi) vultures. The buyers included sovereign wealth funds from Abu Dhabi and Wall Street giants like Fidelity and Jane Street. Not a single crypto-native company secured a piece of the pie.
This represents a massive Liquidation Error for the crypto sector. Instead of owning a seat at the table of the AI revolution alongside FET, the industry handed the keys back to Wall Street.
BitNews Analyst Verdict
Verdict: Bearish for FTX Estate.
Prediction: The premature sale of Anthropic shares confirms TradFi's dominance over AI equity. If Binance had acquired this stake, $BNB valuation models suggest a 30% premium would have been priced in. We expect AI-Crypto integration to now be driven by Wall Street incentives rather than decentralized protocols.
FAQ
Q: Will FTT recover after the Anthropic news?
A: Unlikely. The Anthropic stake was the primary asset that could have fully repaid creditors. Since it was sold early for only 27B windfall for $FTT holders is gone.
Q: Did CZ buy Anthropic shares?
A: No. Binance walked away from the FTX deal in 2022. The AI shares were later sold by the FTX bankruptcy court to traditional institutions like Fidelity.
Disclaimer: This document is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed in this document are not, and should not be taken as, investment advice or recommendations. Recipients should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance, which are not considered here, before investing. This document is not an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned.