PANews reported on June 8th that, according to Bloomberg, FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has formally requested a presidential pardon from US President Donald J. Trump. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024 for fraud and misappropriation of customer funds related to the FTX collapse. It is unclear whether the White House will consider the request, and the reasons for the request and details of the specific legal procedures have not been disclosed.

If Trump ultimately approves the pardon, SBF will become one of the most controversial presidential pardon cases in the history of the crypto industry. However, presidential pardons are highly discretionary matters, with a low probability of approval and often requiring a lengthy review process.