Bankman-Fried Seeks Presidential Pardon Amid Trump's Clemency Grants

Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has made headlines by submitting an application for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. This move comes as Trump has been actively exercising his clemency powers since returning to office.

The pardon application was submitted to the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the US Department of Justice, requesting a 'pardon after completion of sentence.' Bankman-Fried is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering related to the collapse of FTX and its sister hedge fund Alameda Research.

Bankman-Fried has consistently maintained that he did not steal customer funds and that customers have been repaid nearly twice what they had on the platform. He is also appealing his conviction and prison sentence, arguing that judicial bias affected the original trial and seeking a new hearing.