CoinTelegraph
Sam Bankman-Fried, the FTX founder serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy, has formally applied for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, according to Bloomberg.
The application marks a notable development in one of crypto's most high-profile criminal cases. Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 and sentenced in March 2024 after FTX's collapse wiped out billions in customer funds. A presidential pardon would require Trump to act unilaterally — there is no standard review process that compels a decision.
Trump has previously granted clemency to several figures with crypto-adjacent connections, and the broader crypto industry has cultivated closer ties with the current administration. Whether those political currents extend to Bankman-Fried, who was publicly associated with Democratic-aligned political donations, remains an open question. Bloomberg has not reported any indication the White House is actively considering the request.
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