Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has hinted at launching his own coin after leaving prison. This was reported by New York Magazine, citing the entrepreneur's cellmates and acquaintances.

When former inmate David Bunevacz asked SBF about his plans after release, he replied that «making serious money would require between $50 million and $100 million». The businessman mentioned a possible cryptocurrency project that «everyone would flock to».

«Maybe he was joking, and probably no one will flock to him. But who knows», — Bunevacz added.

According to journalists, Bankman-Fried takes daily medication for clinical depression and ADHD, and is also writing a memoir titled «Manfred».

Of the 25 years he was sentenced to, SBF has served only two years in prison. NYM noted that he and his relatives are actively seeking early release or a reduced sentence.  

However, on June 12 an appeals court rejected Bankman-Fried's request to review the trial and overturn the verdict in the FTX case. Before that, on June 8, it became known that he had formally appealed to Donald Trump for a presidential pardon.

The parents of the former head of the collapsed crypto exchange also hired Republican consultants Brian Lanza and Corey Langhofer to lobby for his release.

Journalists write that as part of the campaign, Bankman-Fried tried to build an image of a Trump supporter. In 2025, he arranged an unauthorized video interview with Tucker Carlson from prison, after which he was briefly placed in solitary confinement.

Later he resumed activity on X through an intermediary — his father Joseph Bankman — and began posting pro-Trump messages, calling himself a victim of the crypto policy of Joe Biden's administration.

Barbara Fried is also seeking her son's release. According to New York Magazine, the judge in the case demanded that she stop making excessive calls to his chambers. Prosecutors stated that one of the motions, allegedly sent by Bankman-Fried from prison, was delivered via FedEx from an area near his mother's home.

Recall that in late October 2025, Bankman-Fried called FTX solvent at the time of its collapse. According to him, its assets amounted to $25 billion, while its liabilities were $13 billion. 

Source: ForkLog