• John J. Ray III, the new head of FTX, is exploring the possibility of reviving the bankrupt crypto exchange.
• Ray’s comments came in his first interview since taking over FTX in November.
• Ray said the decision would come down to whether restarting FTX’s international exchange would recover more for customers than just liquidating assets or selling the platform.

John J. Ray III, the new head of the crypto exchange FTX, is exploring the possibility of reviving the bankrupt platform. The comment came in his first interview since taking over the exchange in November.

Ray, who previously handled Enron’s restructuring, said that despite the accusations of criminal misconduct against former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, customers have still lauded FTX’s technology and said it could be worth reviving the exchange.

Ray noted that the decision to revive the exchange would ultimately come down to whether it would be more beneficial for customers to restart FTX’s international exchange, rather than liquidating assets or selling the platform. “Everything is on the table,” Ray said. “If there is a path forward on that, then we will not only explore that, we’ll do it.”

The FTX token FTT was trading up 33% on Binance on the news. In the interview, Ray also criticized Bankman-Fried’s comments to the media and elsewhere as being unhelpful. Bankman-Fried has said FTX did not need to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has been critical of Ray’s decisions.

Should FTX be revived, Ray said it would require a significant financial commitment, as well as a team of experienced professionals. He added that he is also exploring the possibility of forming a partnership with another cryptocurrency exchange.

These efforts could potentially revive FTX and allow customers to regain access to their funds. However, it is still uncertain whether the exchange will be able to make a successful comeback. Until then, investors will have to wait and see.