The White House has officially closed the door on any possible pardon for disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Despite all of his recent social media posts in which the former CEO attempted to align with President Trump’s economic policies, administration officials confirmed that there are no plans to offer clemency.
Sam, we’re sorry. Soft words from the President of the United States will not get you pardon.
Trump refused to pardon Sam Bankman. pic.twitter.com/1nygg0GNGl
— 0HOUR1 (@0hour1) February 24, 2026
DISCOVER: 14 Best Cryptos to Buy Now in February 2026
After CZ, Sam also pursues forgiveness, but with a different approach
For weeks, Sam Bankman has been executing a strange public strategy to obtain a pardon. From his cell, the former FTX CEO posted almost daily to Most notably, he began praising President Trump’s economic policies and criticizing Democrats: a stark turnaround for a man who was once one of the Biden campaign’s biggest donors.
The strategy appears to have been a Hail Mary attempt to obtain a pardon. It didn’t work.
A White House official explicitly stated that Trump had no plans to pardon Bankman-Fried. This is consistent with what Trump said in an interview with the New York Times in January, in which he lumped the SBF in with other figures like Nicolás Maduro, who would not benefit from executive clemency.
This administration has an ambiguous stance on crypto crimes. Just recently, the CEO of SafeMoon was convicted for his role in defrauding investors, and we saw a crypto CEO convicted for a $200 million Ponzi scheme. The justice system treats crypto crimes with the same severity as traditional financial crimes.
Aside from massive corporate fraud, the justice system is tightening the screws against bad actors and shady influencers. Recent court decisions involving influencers like BitBoy show that you can’t say what you want by pumping bags without consequences.
But not everyone suffers the same fate.
DISCOVER: The Best Crypto Presales to Watch Now
Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao (CZ) but not SBF Why?
The refusal to pardon SBF is notable because President Trump has been willing to use his pardon power for cryptographic figures. He previously pardoned Ross Ulbricht (Silk Road founder) and former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ). This has led some to believe that SBF might have a chance.
However, the difference lies in the nature of the crime and the political baggage. The theft of client funds by the SBF has been compared to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme: a direct theft from retail investors that destroyed confidence in the sector. Additionally, SBF’s historic donation of more than $5 million to the Biden campaign in 2020 likely made him a toxic candidate for a pardon from Trump.
As U.S. lawmakers criticize the SEC for its excesses and push for a regulatory overhaul that promotes innovation, they draw a hard line between legitimate corporate struggles and outright theft. Protecting SBF would have compromised the administration’s speech aimed at cleaning up the market.
For Sam Bankman-Fried, his options are running out. He is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence and, although an appeal is pending, legal experts say his chances of success are slim. His mother recently filed a motion seeking a new trial, but without a presidential pardon, he remains in federal custody.
We are observing whether this firmness extends to other pending cases. The rejection of the SBF campaign indicates that the government is happy to let the courts deal with crypto fraud without interference.
DISCOVER: 5 High Risk, High Reward Cryptos for 2026
Follow 99Bitcoins on X for the latest market updates and subscribe on YouTube for daily market analysis from experts.
Key takeaways
-
The White House confirmed that no pardon was being issued to SBF, emphasizing that the high-profile crypto fraud will face full legal consequences regardless of political lobbying.
-
The move creates a safer environment for new investors by signaling that the “Wild West” era of uncontrolled theft is being replaced by standard financial responsibility.
The post No Pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried: White House Confirms appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
