Former President Donald Trump is considering issuing up to 250 pardons to mark America's 250th birthday, and crypto industry figures tied to some of the most contentious cases in the space are jockeying for a spot on that list. People associated with FTX, Tornado Cash, and Samourai Wallet have been pushing to be included in the potential clemency initiative, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Who's angling for clemency
The effort involves individuals connected to three major crypto legal battles. FTX insiders, some of whom have already pleaded guilty or been convicted, are seeking relief. Developers and users linked to Tornado Cash, the Ethereum mixing tool that the Treasury Department sanctioned, are also making their case. And founders of Samourai Wallet, which was charged with operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, are hoping for a pardon.
It's not clear how many names are being floated or who exactly is leading the push. But the fact that Trump is even considering including crypto defendants signals a shift from the administration's previous posture on digital assets.
Why the 250th birthday matters
Trump's team has been framing the pardons as a bicentennial gesture — a sweeping act of clemency tied to the nation's founding. The number 250 is deliberate: one pardon for each year since 1776. That makes the list highly competitive. Everyone from nonviolent drug offenders to political allies wants in. Crypto figures are just one faction.
The timing is important. Trump's last term ended with a flurry of pardons, but they were mostly for high-profile allies and celebrities. This is different — a large, structured list designed to project unity and leniency. Whether that extends to controversial crypto defendants is still up in the air.
What's at stake for the crypto cases
A pardon wouldn't erase the underlying charges or the legal questions around Tornado Cash or Samourai Wallet, but it would let those individuals walk free. For FTX figures already cooperating with prosecutors, a pardon could complicate their cooperation agreements — or end them outright.
The Justice Department has spent years building cases around these three matters. Pardoning them now would undercut those efforts and send a message about how the next administration plans to treat crypto crime. It's a gamble that could rally support from crypto advocates while angering law enforcement.
No final decisions have been made. The list is still being drawn up, and the deadline for submissions is expected in the coming weeks. Whether crypto defendants make the cut depends on how much political capital their advocates can spend — and whether Trump sees them as symbols of overreach or as people who broke the law.
