Pardon Application and Official Stance
Published 6/9/2026, 1:47:03 AM
As of June 9, 2026, it is highly unlikely that Donald Trump will pardon Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). While SBF has formally submitted a pardon application that is currently "Pending" with the U.S. Department of Justice, President Trump and the White House have explicitly and repeatedly stated they have no intention of granting clemency to the convicted FTX founder [Source: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ftx-co-founder-bankman-fried-formally-applies-for-trump-pardon].
Pardon Application and Official Stance
Sam Bankman-Fried filed a formal clemency petition in early June 2026, seeking relief from his 25-year prison sentence [Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/08/sam-bankman-fried-files-formal-request-for-presidential-pardon-.html]. Despite SBF's efforts to align himself with the administration—including praising Trump’s foreign policy and his appointment of Paul Atkins to the SEC—the political and official response has been negative [Source: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/03/21/sam-bankman-fried-tries-to-get-on-donald-trump-s-good-side-by-backing-his-iran-strikes].
| Metric | Status/Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Application Status | Pending (DOJ Office of the Pardon Attorney) | [Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/08/sam-bankman-fried-files-formal-request-for-presidential-pardon-.html] |
| Trump's Public Stance | Explicitly Rejected (as of Jan 2026) | [Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFGLUjnChQ] |
| White House Stance | "No intentions" to grant clemency | [Source: https://fortune.com/2026/02/24/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-trump-pardon-binance-cz-crypto-tucker-carlson/] |
| Market Reaction | FTT token surged ~62% on news of the filing | [Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/08/sam-bankman-fried-files-formal-request-for-presidential-pardon-.html] |
| Prediction Market | No active market currently on Polymarket | [Source: https://polymarket.com/] |
Key Obstacles to a Pardon
- Explicit Rejection: In a January 2026 interview with the New York Times, Donald Trump stated directly that Bankman-Fried would not receive a pardon [Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFGLUjnChQ].
- Political Risk: Analysts note that SBF’s history as a prominent Democratic donor makes a pardon politically "explosive" for the Trump administration [Source: https://fortune.com/2026/02/24/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-trump-pardon-binance-cz-crypto-tucker-carlson/].
- Selective Clemency: While Trump has pardoned other crypto figures like Ross Ulbricht and Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, the White House has distinguished SBF's case, maintaining a firm stance against his release [Source: https://fortune.com/2026/02/24/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-trump-pardon-binance-cz-crypto-tucker-carlson/].
Prediction Market Data
There is currently no active prediction market on Polymarket specifically tracking the SBF pardon [Source: https://polymarket.com/]. The absence of such a market, despite high volumes in other political categories (such as the Peru Presidential Election), suggests that bettors currently view a pardon as a low-probability event or that the formal application has not yet triggered sufficient speculative interest.
In summary, while the application is officially under review by the DOJ, the consistent public rejection from both President Trump and the White House indicates that a pardon is not expected.