Bankman-Fried's New Move: Supporting Crypto Bill as Attempt to Secure Pardon

By the end of February 2026, loud statements from the convicted founder of FTX once again emerged from his account. This time, Sam Bankman-Fried spoke out in defense of the CLARITY Act — a major American bill on cryptocurrency regulation. However, his statement had the opposite effect: instead of support, influential politicians rejected his initiative, accusing him of manipulation.

Why Bankman-Fried Brought Up Crypto Legislation

On February 25, a post appeared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, shared by a friend of the convicted individual. Bankman-Fried called the CLARITY Act a “significant step forward” in the development of the American crypto market. It is a framework bill aimed at clearly dividing jurisdiction among regulators and creating unified rules for digital assets.

The bill was approved by the House of Representatives in summer 2025 and sent to the Senate. However, its further progress faced obstacles: the Agriculture Committee and the Banking Committee prepared their own versions of the law, but disagreements over stablecoin regulation caused the project to stall at a critical stage.

Bankman-Fried’s History in Crypto Regulation: From Sponsorship to Criminal Conviction

Bankman-Fried’s current stance harks back to his past attempts to influence U.S. legislation. He pointed out that he previously promoted a similar initiative — the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act (DCCPA). This bill proposed transferring oversight of the crypto sphere from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), led by Gary Gensler, to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Bankman-Fried actively funded supporters of the DCCPA. In August 2022, the bill was referred to congressional committees for review. However, its fate dramatically changed after the collapse of FTX in November of the same year. The scandal surrounding the exchange and its founder completely crushed the legislative initiative. Convicted later to 25 years in prison for fraud, Bankman-Fried became a toxic asset for any political projects.

Political Reaction: From Cold Reception to Open Criticism

The statement from the convicted FTX founder provoked unanimous rejection in political circles — a rare phenomenon in today’s highly polarized Congress. Senator Cynthia Lummis, known for her support of the crypto industry and the initiative to create a national Bitcoin reserve, publicly stated that she “does not support” Bankman-Fried. She directly pointed out that the convicted individual is trying to “seek” a pardon by demonstrating loyalty to crypto regulation.

Criticism was also joined by Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has always opposed the liberalization of crypto regulation. She called Bankman-Fried “a fraud who embezzled at least eight billion dollars from his clients.” However, observers noted the double standards in her position: Warren criticizes the financier who was simultaneously a major donor to the Democratic Party, making her outrage selective.

Pardon: A Closed Door for Bankman-Fried

It’s worth noting that U.S. President Donald Trump has already signaled clearly: no pardon is planned for the convicted FTX founder. Despite several attempts by Bankman-Fried to obtain a pardon, Trump firmly rejected this possibility.

This makes Bankman-Fried’s current statement even more politically intriguing. It appears that the convicted individual is trying to maintain some role in the discussion about the future of the crypto industry, even while in prison. In recent months, his account activity has significantly increased: he repeatedly claimed that FTX was solvent at the time of bankruptcy and accused his lawyers of taking control of the company.

It turns out that his statement in support of the CLARITY Act is part of a broader strategy to restore his image and influence, but this strategy faces a wall of political rejection.