SBF plans to launch a token after his release — seeking $50–100 million
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed crypto exchange FTX, has not given up hope of returning to the crypto industry. According to information from the ex-billionaire's inner circle, he is already discussing plans with fellow inmates and acquaintances to launch his own token after his release. The talk is about a sum of $50 to $100 million needed to "make serious money."
According to one former inmate who spoke with SBF, the entrepreneur mentioned a possible cryptocurrency project that "everyone would flock to." However, the interlocutor himself was skeptical about these claims: "Maybe he was joking, and probably no one would flock to him. But who knows."
Psychological profile and memoirs
While incarcerated, Bankman-Fried takes daily medication for clinical depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, he is writing memoirs titled "Manfred" — likely a reference to his inner world and an attempt to make sense of what happened.
Fight for freedom and political pivot
Of the 25 years he was sentenced, SBF has spent only two years behind bars. However, his legal team and family are actively working for early release or a reduced sentence. On June 12, an appeals court rejected a request to review the case, and on June 8, it became known that an official appeal was made to Donald Trump for a pardon.
The parents of the former FTX chief hired Republican consultants Brian Lanza and Corey Langhofer for lobbying. Bankman-Fried himself is trying to craft an image as a Trump supporter: in 2025, he organized an unauthorized video interview from prison with Tucker Carlson, for which he was briefly placed in solitary confinement. Later, he resumed activity on X through his father and began posting pro-Trump messages, calling himself a victim of the Biden administration's crypto policies.
Strange manipulations from behind bars
SBF's mother, Barbara Fried, is also actively seeking her son's release. According to available data, the judge ordered her to stop excessive calls to his office. 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 — raising questions about the author's actual location.
Expert commentary: The idea of launching a token by a person convicted of the largest fraud in crypto industry history looks more like an attempt to maintain media relevance than a realistic business plan. Even if SBF finds funding, investor and regulator trust in his project would be virtually zero. However, in the world of cryptocurrencies, surprises can never be ruled out — especially from such charismatic and controversial figures.