SBF's prison plans: a $100 million token and memoirs titled "Manfred"
Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of the collapsed FTX exchange, continues to build ambitious plans even while behind bars. According to information obtained from his cellmates and close associates, SBF is seriously considering launching his own cryptocurrency token after his release. By Bankman-Fried's own estimates, a starting capital of between $50 million and $100 million would be needed to "make serious money." He mentioned a certain crypto project that, in his words, "everyone will flock to."
One former cellmate, David Bunevac, noted that he is not sure about the seriousness of these statements: "Maybe he was joking, and probably no one will flock to him. But who knows." However, given SBF's past and his tendency toward large-scale, sometimes adventurous projects, such plans do not seem like a random fantasy.
Medical Regimen and Literary Ambitions
In addition to cryptocurrency ideas, Bankman-Fried takes daily medication for clinical depression and ADHD. In his free time, he is writing a memoir titled "Manfred" — likely an attempt to reinterpret his role in the collapse of FTX and present his own version of events. Of the 25-year sentence imposed, SBF has served only two years, and his team is actively pushing for early release or a commutation of the sentence.
Political Game and Lobbying
However, Bankman-Fried's legal prospects remain uncertain. On June 12, an appeals court rejected his request for a case review. Earlier, on June 8, it became known that he had formally appealed to Donald Trump for a presidential pardon. The parents of the former FTX chief hired Republican consultants Brian Lanza and Corey Langhofer to lobby for his release.
As part of this campaign, SBF is trying to build an image of 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 social network X through his father, posting pro-Trump messages and calling himself a victim of the crypto policy of Joe Biden's administration.
Bankman-Fried's mother, Barbara Fried, is also actively seeking his release, which even drew the ire of a judge, who demanded an end to excessive calls to his chambers. Prosecutors noted that one of the petitions, allegedly sent by SBF from custody, was delivered via FedEx from an area near his mother's home — raising questions about the actual conditions of his detention.
Recall that in late October 2025, Bankman-Fried claimed that FTX was solvent at the time of its collapse: its assets were $25 billion, and its liabilities were $13 billion. This assertion, to put it mildly, contradicts the findings of the investigation and the data on the exchange's collapse.
Expert Commentary: The idea of launching a token after such a high-profile collapse looks more like an attempt to maintain a public image and attract attention rather than a realistic business plan. The market is unlikely to forgive SBF for the loss of billions in client funds, and any project of his will face colossal distrust and regulatory risks. However, it cannot be ruled out that a narrow group of crypto enthusiasts or speculators might succumb to the "charisma" of the former CEO.