Behind bars — with plans for a crypto empire: SBF prepares a token for release
Even behind bars, Sam Bankman-Fried hasn't stopped thinking big. According to information obtained from his cellmates and close circle, the former FTX head is seriously considering launching his own cryptocurrency token immediately after his release. Former inmate David Bunevac said that when asked directly about his plans, SBF replied that to "make serious money," he would need between $50 and $100 million. The founder of the collapsed exchange also mentioned a certain crypto project that, in his words, "everyone will flock to."
Of course, it cannot be ruled out that this was merely bravado or an attempt to save face in a difficult situation. As Bunevac noted: "Maybe he was joking, and probably no one will flock to him. But who knows." Nevertheless, the very fact that a man sentenced to 25 years in prison is making such plans speaks to his unyielding self-confidence — or a serious disconnect from reality.
Memoirs, Medications, and Political Maneuvers
Sources report that Bankman-Fried daily takes medication for clinical depression and ADHD, and is actively writing memoirs titled "Manfred." Meanwhile, he has served only two years of his sentence, and his family, including his parents, is waging an intensive campaign for early release. All means are being employed: from hiring Republican consultants Brian Lantz and Corey Langhofer to directly appealing to Donald Trump for a presidential pardon.
Notably, SBF is trying to cultivate an image of a Trump supporter. In 2025, he organized an unauthorized video interview from prison with Tucker Carlson, for which he was sent to solitary confinement. Later, through his father Joseph Bankman, he resumed activity on X, posting pro-Trump messages and calling himself a victim of the Biden administration's crypto policies.
Legal Battles and Dubious Petitions
However, on June 12, the appeals court rejected the request for a retrial, and attempts by his mother Barbara Fried to secure her son's release irritated the judge — she had to stop excessive calls to his chambers. Moreover, prosecutors discovered that one of the petitions, allegedly sent by Bankman-Fried himself from prison, was delivered via FedEx from an area near his mother's home.
As a reminder, in late October 2025, SBF again claimed FTX was solvent at the time of its collapse, estimating its assets at $25 billion against liabilities of $13 billion. These figures, to put it mildly, raise questions given the scale of the exchange's collapse.
My analysis: The idea of launching a token by the former CEO of FTX is not just a rumor, but a symptom. If SBF is actually released and attempts to implement this project, the market will face a serious test of trust. The reputational risks for any project associated with his name would be enormous. However, in the world of cryptocurrencies, where scandalous narratives are sometimes valued, the emergence of an "SBF coin" cannot be completely ruled out. Investors should be extremely cautious — behind a flashy story may lie another pyramid scheme.