In a political climate where headlines feel more like plot twists, CNBC’s Jim Cramer just added another one to the mix, sparking fresh debate over one of crypto’s most controversial figures: Sam Bankman-Fried.
Could the convicted FTX founder actually score a presidential pardon if Donald Trump returns to office?
That’s the question Cramer casually floated on March 28, posting on X:
“Is SBF the next to see daylight?”
In another time, the idea might have sounded absurd. But in 2025, where the boundaries between financial scandal, political influence, and internet spectacle have all but vanished, it’s a question worth asking.
While Cramer’s comment was speculative, the crypto prediction platform Polymarket is taking things a step further—by putting real money behind the idea.
A live event on the site titled “Who Will Trump Pardon in the First 100 Days?” has opened the floor to bets. As of now, Sam Bankman-Fried holds a mere 3% chance of being pardoned, according to bettors.
Roger Ver, early Bitcoin investor turned tax evasion fugitive, edges out SBF with 4% of votes. Ver, recently charged with dodging $50 million in taxes, claims he’s been “politically targeted” for promoting cryptocurrency. That line has resonated with a segment of crypto loyalists who see regulatory enforcement as an ideological war.
Then there’s Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, the former CEO of Binance. Though less controversial than SBF, his 7% prediction rating shows that Polymarket users see a Trump pardon as possible, perhaps even strategic. After all, CZ’s legal trouble with U.S. regulators may be viewed through a different lens in a second Trump term focused on deregulation and market freedom.
Crypto’s Legal Drama Goes Political
Cramer’s remark isn’t just about SBF, it’s a reflection of how tightly woven crypto, law, and politics have become.
Bankman-Fried, once a billionaire golden boy of crypto, is now a convicted fraudster awaiting sentencing for orchestrating one of the largest financial collapses in U.S. history. But even in disgrace, his name still dominates headlines. His massive political donations, including to both parties, continue to raise uncomfortable questions about influence and accountability.
Skeptics argue that lumping SBF into this conversation is a stretch. His crimes weren’t political. They were financial. And despite his high-profile connections, few believe a pardon would come without massive backlash from both sides of the aisle.
But in a time when populism is on the rise and anti-regulatory sentiment brews across the crypto space, stranger things have happened.
Cramer’s tweet may have been flippant. But the fact that it sparked real-world betting and serious online discourse says everything about the current climate. This isn’t just about SBF. It’s about how easily crypto and political spectacle now intermingle.
The Takeaway
The speculation around a possible Trump pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried isn’t just a meme, it’s a signal. The crypto industry has become part of the national narrative, where criminal trials, regulatory crackdowns, and presidential campaigns now share the same stage.
Whether SBF ever sees daylight through a political pardon or not, one thing is clear: crypto’s courtroom drama isn’t ending anytime soon, it’s just entering a new chapter.
