TechFlow reports, on March 11, according to Fortune, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) is seeking a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Despite SBF's recent campaign across right-wing media, including an unauthorized appearance on the "Tucker Carlson Show"—an act that led to his placement in solitary confinement—political insiders believe his chances of success are extremely low. One anonymous cryptocurrency lobbyist bluntly stated SBF's odds of receiving a pardon were "zero," then added: "Sorry, in Trump's world... close to zero."
Another cryptocurrency lobbyist told Fortune: "Unless the broader crypto community makes SBF a priority the way it did with Ross Ulbricht, a pardon likely won't happen." Notably, Trump has expressed support for cryptocurrencies during his campaign and days after taking office granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, a blockchain-powered darknet marketplace. However, unlike Ulbricht, who is widely popular within libertarian crypto circles, SBF remains deeply unpopular across the cryptocurrency industry, especially following FTX's fraudulent collapse that triggered a prolonged downturn in the crypto market.
