April 15, 2026
President Donald Trump has set his sights on the crypto industry, and his recent actions have left no stone unturned. He appears to have opened the doors to a more favorable regulatory environment, making involvement in the crypto space more attractive. During his campaign for a second term, he promised to pardon Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, and he kept his word. Within days of his term, he pardoned Ulbricht after serving more than a decade in prison for money laundering and narcotics.
And that was just the beginning. Just two months later, Trump pardoned Arthur Hayes and his BitMEX co-founders Ben Delo and Samuel Reed. Former BitMEX employee Gregory Dwyer and the company itself were also pardoned. These decisions have raised hopes for other notable figures in the crypto space who, in some cases, are actively pushing for the president to pardon them as well.
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the founder and former CEO of Binance, has revealed that he is pursuing legal action for a pardon. In an interview, he said that lawyers are working on his request. Despite rumors that he would attempt to exchange Binance.US stock for a pardon, he has flatly denied the claim. “That is not true at all,” Zhao said. “I have not had any discussions about stocks with anyone.” He stressed that he is pursuing legal action and that his pardon request was submitted before he was scheduled to speak at the Token2049 event in Dubai.
Jailed FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF, also appears to be hoping for a pardon from Trump. His parents, both Stanford professors, are reportedly busy drumming up support within Trump’s inner circle. Bankman-Fried, who was convicted of multiple fraudulent schemes and sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in FTX’s demise, has appealed his case.
Perhaps the most notable call for clemency came from Roger “Bitcoin Jesus” Ver. In a video posted to social media platform X, he asked Trump for a pardon for his troubles with the IRS. The early Bitcoin investor, who is accused of evading nearly $50 million in taxes, is now in a difficult situation. Following his denationalization of the US, Elon Musk has suggested that Ver is unlikely to receive a pardon, which may well be true.
Ver, arrested in 2024, is currently fighting extradition to the United States while free on bail in Spain. He has enlisted Trump confidant Roger Stone to lobby on his behalf, paying him $600.000.
A lesser-known name is Joby Weeks, who last year pleaded guilty to conspiracy to offer unregistered securities in connection with the BitClub scheme, one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the crypto space, which bilked investors out of $722 million. While Weeks himself did not explicitly ask for a pardon, he did suggest that it would be great if Trump would get involved. He has fallen back on self-defense in his case, now that he is a defendant in the world of crypto lawsuits.
The world of crypto can be strange and unpredictable, but those are exactly the ingredients that make up the excitement of this industry.
Why are some crypto entrepreneurs seeking a pardon?
They hope the pardon will help them avoid the harsh sentences they have received and allow them to rebuild their lives and careers.
How did Donald Trump respond to the request for pardon?
So far, Trump has actually granted some pardons to crypto entrepreneurs, which has generated both support and controversy.
What can we expect from the future of crypto regulations?
With recent developments in politics, there seems to be more room for constructive dialogue on crypto regulation, which could stabilize and improve the market.
Bitcoin (BTC)
Ethereum (ETH)
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