Bitcoin holds as White House says Trump won’t pardon SBF

Will Trump pardon FTX’s SBF? White House says no

As of February 24, 2026, the White House position is that President Donald Trump does not plan to pardon FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, according to CoinGape. The statement clarifies the administration’s stance amid ongoing public interest in the high-profile case.

Bankman-Fried was convicted in federal court and is pursuing appellate remedies. The White House’s position does not alter his conviction or the judicial timetable, but it narrows the realm of possible executive outcomes.

Pardon vs commutation vs appeal: what changes now

A presidential pardon forgives the offense and can restore certain civil rights; it does not by itself declare a person innocent, but it removes legal penalties attached to the conviction. A commutation reduces the sentence without disturbing the underlying conviction. An appeal is a judicial process that challenges the conviction and/or sentence before higher courts; it proceeds independently of executive clemency.

Against that backdrop, the administration’s stance means there is no executive forgiveness on offer. After reporters asked about clemency, a White House spokesperson “won’t give him one,” as reported by Fortune.

Practically, that leaves Bankman-Fried’s pathway focused on appellate review in the courts and, in theory, the possibility of a future commutation petition. Neither route guarantees relief; both depend on legal standards and, for commutation, executive discretion that is distinct from a pardon.

Why clemency is unlikely in SBF’s case, experts say

Commentary has centered on the gravity of the misconduct and its implications for market integrity. Pardoning a figure convicted in a major crypto fraud would “send a dangerous message,” according to an opinion analysis by CryptoNews, because it could be seen as minimizing the misuse of customer assets in financial markets.

Political optics also weigh against clemency in expert assessments. CoinDesk editors have noted that Bankman-Fried’s prior political alignments and reputational baggage inside the industry make a pardon less likely from a pragmatic standpoint of coalition support.

Analysts have additionally pointed to the posture of the courts. Vanity Fair reported that judges appear skeptical of the merits of his appeal, a signal that may dampen public and institutional appetite for extraordinary executive relief even as the legal process continues.

At the time of this writing, broader market conditions showed Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) trading around $209.46, based on data from Yahoo Scout; this market snapshot is unrelated to the case and is provided for contextual background only.