Trump, large-scale pardons for U.S. 250th anniversary?...Crypto industry's attention focused

▲ Donald Trump, Bitcoin (BTC), Cryptocurrency Regulation/AI Generated Image

As U.S. President Donald Trump considers a large-scale pardon to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, key legal case parties in the cryptocurrency industry, including FTX and early Bitcoin figures, have once again entered the political pardon clock.

BeInCrypto reported on May 13 (local time) that the White House is considering approximately 250 presidential pardons to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States on July 4, 2026. Although the plan is still in its preliminary stages, cryptocurrency-related defendants such as Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) and Roger Ver are reportedly hoping for a pardon from the Trump administration.

During his second term, Trump has already granted over 1,600 pardons and commutations, which is several times more than the 250 granted during his entire first term. BeInCrypto noted that a significant portion of these were directed towards the cryptocurrency industry. In October 2025, Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to anti-money laundering charges. In the same year, BitMEX co-founders and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht also received pardons.

At the center of the current pardon expectations is FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. He has pursued a public relief campaign, but Trump explicitly rejected his request in January. However, Trump left room for other cryptocurrency-related cases. Discussions about a potential pardon grew again recently when he stated he would "look into" the case of Samourai Wallet CEO Keonne Rodriguez.

Roger Ver, known as an early supporter of Bitcoin (BTC), is also actively pushing for a pardon. He hired political strategist Roger Stone and released a video directly appealing to Trump. Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin also commented on Roger Ver's case, stating that "good faith mistakes should be dealt with by giving an opportunity to pay taxes, including interest and penalties if necessary, not by prosecution."

Miner Joby Weeks, who pleaded guilty to tax-related charges, also wants to be included in the pardon list. Former FTX executive Ryan Salame is quietly exploring the possibility of relief, openly aligning with the Trump campaign's message. On Polymarket, in a market concerning the possibility of a pardon before 2027, Salame was mentioned as a candidate at 13%, Sam Bankman-Fried at 11%, and Do Kwon at 9%.

The Senate is already investigating Trump's cryptocurrency pardons. BeInCrypto reported that if the symbolic announcement of 250 pardons around July 4 becomes a reality, political scrutiny will increase, but the administration could tie the pardons to the pretext of a national holiday. If the pardon list is actually released, it could also influence the decisions of prosecutors and exchanges regarding the legal costs of operating cryptocurrency businesses and the regulatory environment.

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