The FTX Story — Ethics, Oversight & Professional Judgment for CPAs

In the world of accounting and assurance, maintaining trust is non-negotiable. But as technologies evolve and regulatory frameworks expand, CPAs face ethical and judgment-based challenges that go far beyond traditional audits. That’s why earning NASBA approved ethics CPE is not simply a checkbox—it’s a strategic investment in your professional mindset and ethical resilience.

The collapse of the global cryptocurrency exchange FTX is one of the most dramatic business failures of recent years. Once valued at over $30 billion, it unraveled rapidly because of missing controls, unmonitored access, and blurred boundaries between entity and affiliate.

The Professional Ethics: The FTX Story course uses this real-world scenario to help CPAs understand how ethics, oversight structures, and decision-making combine under pressure—and how things can go wrong when all three break down.

Why the FTX Story Matters for CPAs

FTX’s rise and fall weren’t simply a business misstep—they reflect how ethical and control failures stack on top of one another.

At the heart of the collapse: billions in customer funds were misused for trading and speculative investments by affiliated entities.
Internal audit, transparency, and oversight mechanisms were all ignored or severely undermined.
The case shows how reputational trust and rapid growth can mask control failures until they explode into crisis.

So for CPAs, this is not just a “crypto story”—it’s a lesson in ethics, professional skepticism, internal controls, and risk awareness.

What You’ll Learn

This case-based ethics CPE course takes you deeper than theory. You’ll explore:

How organizational structure, governance failures and lack of oversight created a perfect storm
The importance of professional skepticism when technology, new business models and high-growth environments collide
How cognitive bias and assumptions impact ethical decision-making in novel situations
Warning signs of risk—especially when familiar processes are stretched or bypassed

Why It’s Valuable for U.S. CPAs Today

In the U.S., many firms are working with evolving regulation, including state specific ethics requirements that now need to address technology, digital assets and cross-jurisdiction oversight. This course offers CPAs the chance to meet those requirements with relevance and depth.
It is especially beneficial for professionals engaged in:

Audit, assurance or internal audit roles
Controllers or compliance teams dealing with new technologies or business models
Firms focused on AI ethics for CPAs, given the increasing use of AI and digital financial platforms requiring oversight

By completing the course, CPAs are not only earning NASBA approved ethics CPE credits—they are enhancing their professional judgment and practical competence in current and emerging risk landscapes.

Why Case-Study Format Works Better

Many ethics trainings feel abstract or disconnected from the “real world.” This course changes that by focusing on actual stakeholder decisions, governance failures, and control breakdowns.
You’ll see:

How ethical failure develops step by step—not with a dramatic collapse, but via incremental decisions
Where intervention points existed and how control models could have prevented loss
How professional judgment, oversight, culture and process all link together

This approach makes ethics training relevant, memorable and actionable for CPAs striving for more than compliance.

Putting It Into Practice

Imagine you review a business model involving digital assets in your firm. You’ve noticed high growth, minimal audit coverage, and an affiliate trading relationship. Because you’ve studied the FTX story, you’re primed to ask tougher questions:

What controls exist between affiliate and main entity?
Is usage of customer/firm funds properly segregated?
Has professional skepticism been applied—or has the environment been assumed safe because of rapid growth?

These questions might seem subtle—but they’re the difference between proactive oversight and reactive crisis response.

Putting It Into Practice

What controls exist between affiliate and main entity?
Is usage of customer/firm funds properly segregated?
Has professional skepticism been applied—or has the environment been assumed safe because of rapid growth?

These questions might seem subtle—but they’re the difference between proactive oversight and reactive crisis response.

Strengthen your ethical judgment.

Elevate your awareness of control risks and digital innovation.

Earn meaningful NASBA approved ethics CPE credits with relevance to today’s business world.

Enroll in the Professional Ethics: The FTX Story course today.

Your role as a CPA supports trust, oversight and accountability. This course helps you prepare to meet that responsibility.