SBF plans token launch from prison: former FTX head seeks $100 million for new crypto project
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, who is serving a 25-year sentence, appears to be not giving up hope of returning to the crypto industry. According to information obtained from his cellmates and close circle, SBF is already discussing launching his own token after his release. He mentions a sum of $50 to $100 million, which he says would be needed to "make serious money."
According to former inmate David Bunevacz, who spoke with Bankman-Fried, the latter mentioned some cryptocurrency project that he believes "everyone will flock to." Although Bunevacz admits it could have been a joke, the very fact of such conversations within prison walls speaks volumes: even after the collapse of FTX and fraud allegations, SBF's ambitions have not faded.
Currently, Bankman-Fried takes medication daily for clinical depression and ADHD, and is writing a memoir titled "Manfred." At the same time, he is actively fighting for early release or a reduced sentence. The appeals court rejected his request for a case review on June 12, and earlier, on June 8, it became known that he had officially appealed to Donald Trump for a presidential pardon.
SBF and his family's strategy includes hiring Republican consultants Brian Lantz and Corey Langhofer for lobbying. Apparently, Bankman-Fried is trying to build an image of a Trump supporter: in 2025, he organized an unauthorized video interview with Tucker Carlson, for which he was placed in solitary confinement, and then, through his father, began posting pro-Trump messages on X, calling himself a victim of the Biden administration's policies.
SBF's mother, Barbara Fried, is also actively seeking her son's release, but the judge has already demanded that she stop excessive calls. Prosecutors noted that one of the motions, allegedly sent from prison, was delivered via FedEx from an area near his mother's home. Recall that in late October 2025, Bankman-Fried claimed that FTX was solvent at the time of its collapse, estimating assets at $25 billion against liabilities of $13 billion.
Analytical commentary: SBF's idea of launching a token after his release looks more like an attempt to save face and attract attention than a realistic business plan. The market is unlikely to forgive him for losing billions of FTX clients, and trust in any projects associated with his name will be zero. However, this story clearly demonstrates that even in prison, Bankman-Fried remains a visionary who cannot give up the idea of "easy money" in the crypto industry.