FTX Founder’s Clemency Bid: Bankman-Fried Endorses Trump Pardon Strategy Amid Legal Battle

In a striking development within the cryptocurrency legal landscape, Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted founder of the collapsed FTX exchange, has publicly aligned himself with former President Donald Trump's use of executive clemency. Bankman-Fried specifically praised Trump's controversial pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who received a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking convictions. This endorsement emerges as Bankman-Fried's legal team and family intensify their campaign for presidential clemency following his own 2023 conviction on multiple fraud charges and subsequent 25-year prison sentence. The disgraced crypto entrepreneur is currently appealing his case, with his supporters arguing that his sentence was disproportionately harsh compared to penalties in traditional financial fraud cases. This situation highlights the ongoing tension between innovative digital asset markets and established regulatory frameworks, with many in the crypto community watching closely as it may set precedents for how founders of failed blockchain enterprises are treated under the law. The public endorsement of Trump's pardon strategy suggests Bankman-Fried's team is exploring all possible avenues for sentence reduction or reversal, even as the broader cryptocurrency industry continues working to rebuild institutional trust following FTX's catastrophic collapse.

Bankman-Fried Seeks Pardon Amid FTX Fallout, Praises Trump’s Clemency for Honduran Leader

Convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has publicly endorsed Donald Trump’s pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was sentenced to 45 years for drug trafficking. The endorsement comes as Bankman-Fried’s legal team and family push for his own presidential clemency following his 2023 fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence.

Bankman-Fried, now appealing his case before the Second Circuit, called Hernández 'one of the kindest and most dedicated people' he’s met in a recent X post. His parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, are reportedly exploring pardon avenues—mirroring recent efforts for other crypto figures like Binance’s Changpeng Zhao.

The timing underscores the intersection of political influence and crypto’s legal reckoning. With an appeals court decision on a potential retrial delayed until 2025, Bankman-Fried’s public alignment with Trump’s clemency record may signal a strategic pivot.

Bot Farm Hijacks HumidiFi Token Launch, Forcing Project to Reboot

HumidiFi's carefully planned WET token distribution unraveled within minutes as a bot farm exploited the sale mechanism. The Solana-based automated market Maker had designed a three-tiered participation system through Jupiter's platform, aiming for equitable access.

Instead, coordinated wallets executed a lightning-fast sniping operation that drained the entire allocation. Blockchain data suggests a single entity may have consolidated the tokens—an outcome directly counter to HumidiFi's democratic distribution goals.

The team acknowledged the failure via social media: 'Veteran DeFi participants were completely locked out.' This debacle mirrors recurring challenges in crypto token launches, where sophisticated actors routinely outmaneuver retail investors.

In damage-control mode, HumidiFi will sunset the compromised WET token and deploy a new contract with modified distribution mechanics. The reboot promises prioritized access for Solana's DeFi community members who missed the initial sale.