Bankman-Fried Seeks Trump Pardon Amid Ongoing FTX Sentence Appeal

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former billionaire founder of FTX and Alameda Research, has applied for a pardon from US President Donald Trump while serving his 25-year sentence for federal charges related to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange.

The 34-year-old's application for a 'pardon after completion of sentence' with the Department of Justice means that if granted, his fraud convictions would be forgiven once he has served his time. This is different from seeking a commutation, which would shorten the sentence itself.

Bankman-Fried is separately attempting to appeal his sentence and has maintained his innocence throughout the process. FTX became a popular exchange used by millions before collapsing in 2022 amid claims that Bankman-Fried had treated customer deposits as his own, funding personal investments and paying debts.