Trump: Not Considering Pardoning SBF

BlockBeats News, January 9th, in an interview with The New York Times, U.S. President Trump explicitly stated that he would not consider pardoning FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). SBF was convicted in 2023 of embezzlement of customer funds, financial fraud, and other charges, becoming one of the most iconic criminal cases in the crypto industry's history.

In the interview, Trump mentioned that when asked by reporters whether several high-profile inmates could be pardoned by the president, SBF was among them but was explicitly excluded. Trump said he had no intention of exercising his pardon power for individuals, including SBF.

Reports also revealed that musician Sean Combs (Diddy) had written to Trump requesting a pardon but was also rejected. In contrast, Trump has indeed pardoned some political allies in recent years or individuals who supported the narrative of "politicized justice," but SBF is not within his consideration.

Analysis points out that Trump's statement implies that in the foreseeable future, the likelihood of SBF being released from prison early through a presidential pardon is extremely low, and his criminal and civil liability processes will continue. This will continue to have a profound impact on compliance and regulatory discussions in the crypto industry.