Trump Pardons Crypto Figures, Inspires More to Seek Relief

President Donald Trump has granted pardons to several notable figures in the crypto sphere, fostering a more favorable regulatory environment for the industry. During his campaign for re-election, Trump pledged to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, and fulfilled this promise shortly after taking office. Ulbricht had been imprisoned for over a decade on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to traffic narcotics. Two months later, Trump extended pardons to Arthur Hayes and his BitMEX co-founders Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed, along with former BitMEX employee Gregory Dwyer and the company itself.

These pardons have inspired other prominent figures in the crypto world to seek similar relief. Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, the founder and former CEO of Binance, revealed in an exclusive interview that he has lawyers applying for a pardon on his behalf. Zhao dismissed rumors that he was attempting to exchange Binance.US equity for a pardon, stating that he has had no discussions about such a deal. Instead, he is pursuing a legal path to obtain a pardon, having applied for one a couple of weeks before his interview at Token2049 Dubai in late April. Zhao expressed that he would not mind receiving a pardon, given the circumstances.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the imprisoned co-founder and former CEO of FTX, is also reportedly seeking a pardon from the president. According to reports, Bankman-Fried's parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, who are Stanford Law Professors, are involved in the efforts to secure a pardon. They are consulting with individuals close to President Trump's inner circles. Bankman-Fried was charged with multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy and sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the collapse of FTX. He is currently appealing the verdict.

Roger "Bitcoin Jesus" Ver, an early investor in Bitcoin and co-founder of the Bitcoin Foundation, publicly appealed for a pardon from President Trump in a video posted on the social media platform X in January. Ver faces jail time for charges of tax evasion, with a federal indictment alleging he evaded paying taxes of nearly $50 million. However, Ver's situation is complicated by the fact that he denounced his U.S. citizenship, leading some to suggest that he may not be eligible for a pardon. Ver was arrested in 2024 and is currently fighting extradition to the United States while out on bail in Spain. In April 2025, he paid Trump confidant Roger Stone $600,000 to lobby on his behalf, particularly against the “exit tax” connected to his tax evasion charges.

Jobadiah (or Joby) Weeks, who pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to offer and sell unregistered securities in 2020 in connection to BitClub, one of crypto’s most notable Ponzi schemes, has also hinted at seeking a pardon. BitClub famously lobbied for money from investors to buy mining equipment to generate notable Bitcoin returns, with the expectation that investors would receive a share of the mining profits. While Weeks did not directly mention a pardon, he did allude to it, telling Politico in March, “It would be great to have Trump step in.” Weeks also shifted his defense tactics when Trump took office, opting to represent himself while he seeks a dismissal of his case.