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Sam Bankman-Fried has formally applied for a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump. The request comes more than two years after the FTX founder was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud tied to the exchange’s collapse.
His application was submitted to the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney and is listed as pending. The filing moves Bankman-Fried’s clemency push into the federal pardon process while he continues to challenge his conviction and sentence.
DOJ Pardon Office Lists SBF Request as Pending
The Office of the Pardon Attorney assists the president with executive clemency, including pardons, commutations, remission of fines and reprieves. A pending status means a clemency case has been opened and the petition is under review.
The filing does not mean Trump will grant relief. The pardon office can review petitions and make recommendations, but the final decision rests with the president.
SBF is Serving 25 Years for FTX Fraud
Bankman-Fried was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in prison. He also received three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $11 billion. Prosecutors said he led multiple fraudulent schemes after FTX customer funds were misused through Alameda Research.
A jury convicted him in November 2023 on seven fraud and conspiracy counts. He appealed his conviction and sentence in April 2024, keeping his legal challenge active while the clemency request follows a separate path.
CZ Pardon Gives SBF Team Crypto Precedent
Bankman-Fried’s request follows Trump’s use of clemency for other crypto figures. Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in October 2025 after Zhao had served four months in prison on money laundering-related charges.
The request also comes after Bankman-Fried made public comments aligning himself with Trump-linked policies. He was previously better known as a large Democratic donor before FTX collapsed.
White House Has Not Ruled on Request
The White House and Justice Department have not issued a new public decision on the pardon request. Reports said Bankman-Fried has said he would accept a pardon, while also saying he has not personally contacted Trump.
The next step is whether the petition remains pending, is rejected or advances inside the clemency process. For now, the filing gives Bankman-Fried a formal route to seek relief, but no guarantee that his 25-year sentence will change.
