Jailed crypto magnate Sam Bankman-Fried has put pen to paper and filed for a pardon with President Donald Trump. The 34-year-old, once a billionaire, was sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty to fraud charges related to his company FTX.
His application comes as part of over 20,000 requests for pardons or commutations to the Department of Justice. Bankman-Fried has always maintained his innocence and is currently appealing his sentence. Despite Trump’s past use of pardoning power, he said no in February this year.
FTX collapsed amid allegations that Bankman-Fried had misused customer funds for personal gains, leading to its downfall. His application for a pardon echoes those from other notables like the leader of Binance, showing how far-reaching Trump’s leniency was.
The crypto world watched with bated breath; could this be a sign of a wider amnesty or just a solitary plea in the vast expanse of American justice?
