• The CEO of Coinbase said that it's "bizarre" Sam Bankman-Fried is "getting treated with kid gloves."

• He pointed to Bankman-Fried's tweets with Rep. Maxine Waters, where she asked him to attend a hearing.

• Brian Armstrong said he feels the "mainstream media" has given Bankman-Fried "softball interviews."

Sam Bankman-Fried is getting treated "with kid gloves" despite facing allegations he committed a $10 billion fraud, said Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.

Watching how FTX's collapse has unfolded, Armstrong told Stratechery's Ben Thompson in a podcast interview that he feels that the "mainstream media" has given the fallen cryptocurrency CEO "a lot of softball interviews."

"I mean, this guy just committed a $10 billion fraud, and why is he getting treated with kid gloves?" Armstrong asked.

He pointed to a recent Twitter exchange between Bankman-Fried and California representative Maxine Waters, where the congresswoman "very politely," as Armstrong said, asked the FTX founder to attend the US House Committee on Financial Services' hearing on December 13.

"We appreciate that you've been candid in your discussions about what happened at #FTX," Waters tweeted. "Your willingness to talk to the public will help the company's customers, investors, and others. To that end, we would welcome your participation in our hearing on the 13th."

Bankman-Fried replied that when he's "finished learning and reviewing what happened, I would feel like it was my duty to appear before the committee and explain," adding that he's "not sure that will happen by the 13th."

Armstrong described Bankman-Fried's reply as "politely deferring," and said the exchange "was bizarre." Waters has since said "a subpoena is definitely on the table," if Bankman-Fried doesn't show up.

"Compare her tweets about Mark Zuckerberg for instance, who never stole $10 billion from people, whatever you think about the guy," Armstrong said.