Bitcoin News

Story: Bankman-Fried’s 25-Year Sentence Upheld as Appeal Denied

By Maheen Hernandez

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FTX: $32 Billion Vanished in November 2022. To understand why the sentence is so severe, one must look back at the collapse.

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Pardon Denied, Legal Options Nearly Exhausted. The appeal wasn't the only card played. Bankman-Fried also filed for a presidential pardon.

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The 2nd Circuit has ruled. Sam Bankman-Fried won't be leaving prison anytime soon — the federal appeals court based in Manhattan confirmed his fraud conviction and 25-year…

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The appeal hinged on a central argument: the defense team, led by attorney Alexandra Shapiro, claimed that District Judge Lewis Kaplan had blocked crucial evidence.

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No total surprise. But it does close a significant door.

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To understand why the sentence is so severe, one must look back at the collapse. FTX was worth $32 billion before it crumbled in November 2022.

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Three former close associates of Bankman-Fried pleaded guilty and testified against him. Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research, said Bankman-Fried had ordered her to…

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Bankman-Fried was sentenced in March 2024. The court ordered the forfeiture of $11 billion and added three years of supervised release to his 25-year sentence.

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More context: SBF Appeal Fails: 25-Year Sentence Stands as 2044 Release Date Looms

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Read also: SBF's 25-Year Sentence Confirmed After Appeal for New Trial Rejected

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What's left? A habeas corpus petition or a petition to the Supreme Court. Basically, last-resort options, with historically very low success rates compared to direct appeals.

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He is currently incarcerated in a low-security federal prison near Santa Barbara, California. Probable release date: 2044.

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From his cell, Bankman-Fried maintains that he did not steal user funds. He points to the recovery of assets by the FTX estate as proof that the situation was more nuanced than…

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The impact on the crypto market was massive. The fall of FTX prompted congressional hearings, pushed exchanges to review their proof-of-reserves practices, and sowed distrust…

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On the same topic: SBF's Appeal Fails: 25-Year Sentence Confirmed, Release Expected in 2044

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