The White House has reaffirmed that President Donald Trump will not pardon FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, currently serving a 25-year federal sentence for fraud and related charges connected with the FTX scandal.
This statement by the White House on the FTX matter first came in January 2026. The White House statement on the FTX matter comes despite recent pro-Trump social media posts by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
According to a Fortune report, when questioned about the recent social media campaign, a White House spokesperson stated, “The President made it very clear in January that he does not plan to pardon Sam Bankman-Fried, and that remains the case.”
White House Offers No Clarity on FTX Clemency
Additionally, President Trump told the New York Times in an interview that he has no plans to pardon Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or former Sen. Robert Menendez.
The official, however, did not comment on whether President Trump’s stance on the FTX matter would change or if a pardon is completely out of the question.
Since President Trump took office, he has granted pardons to several high-profile individuals connected with digital assets, including FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, and Ross Ulbricht, the operator of the Silk Road.
The chances of Bankman-Fried seem to be lower. He was a major donor to President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign against Trump. He donated $5.2 million to the campaign to defeat Trump. He is accused of misappropriating billions of dollars from his bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange.
He was convicted of fraud and conspiracy charges in 2023 under the Biden administration. The case against him is “likely the largest fraud in the last decade.” It is compared to Bernie Madoff’s case.
Also Read: Binance CEO Richard Teng Threatens Legal Action Over WSJ, NYT Iran‑Sanctions Reports in 2026
SBF Remains Jailed as Pardon Efforts Collapse
The former cryptocurrency exchange CEO has been a donor to the Democratic Party. From prison, he has been trying to portray himself as a conservative by using social media to gain Trump’s favor.
In his post on X, he accused Judge Lewis Kaplan of political bias because he sentenced him. He said Judge Kaplan was appointed by Clinton. He praised Trump for going against “partisan” institutions.
One week ago, SBF had stated that lawyers and his successor, John J. Ray III, were responsible for the downfall of FTX for personal gain. SBF also added that the exchange’s $7.1 billion repayment to investors as a gesture of goodwill.
He has also been posting other messages criticizing the “deep state” and praising Trump. These actions have not helped him gain a presidential pardon.
The former cryptocurrency exchange CEO is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York. He is 33 years old. He has been sentenced to a harsher sentence than his associates. His second chance at a presidential pardon has been blocked.
Also Read: Binance Cuts Sanctions Exposure 96% As Compliance Team Tops 1,500
