US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a large wave of pardons tied to America’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, with several high-profile crypto figures hoping to be included.
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s administration is discussing plans to pardon up to 250 people ahead of July 4. Sources familiar with the matter said an announcement could come either on June 14, which marks Trump’s birthday, or during Independence Day events in July.
President Trump is reportedly considering 250 pardons for America’s 250th Birthday.
President Trump has come under fire from supporters for issuing hundreds of pardons, many to convicted fraudsters who caused billions in losses to thousands of victims.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/8klQ9xXL6J
— AF Post (@AFpost) May 13, 2026
The discussions remain preliminary, and no final list has been confirmed. The development comes as supporters of the crypto industry continue lobbying the White House to grant clemency to several convicted or indicted digital asset executives and developers.
Crypto figures seek presidential pardons
Among the most notable names linked to pardon discussions is Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of collapsed crypto exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024 after being convicted on fraud and conspiracy charges tied to the exchange’s collapse.
Although he has reportedly tried to gain political support for a pardon, earlier reports suggested Trump was unwilling to consider clemency for the former crypto billionaire.
Another figure seeking relief is Keonne Rodriguez, one of the developers behind crypto-mixing platform Samourai Wallet. Rodriguez has publicly pushed for a pardon, while an online petition supporting him has gathered more than 16,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, separate petitions seeking pardons for Roman Storm and Roman Semenov remain active online. US prosecutors accused the Tornado Cash founders of enabling money laundering through the privacy protocol, charges that sparked backlash from parts of the crypto community.
Crypto advocates argue that software developers should not face criminal liability for how third parties use decentralized tools.
Trump already pardoned several crypto executives
Trump has already granted clemency to multiple crypto-related figures during his current term.
The White House previously pardoned Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed, who had pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money laundering laws related to the crypto exchange BitMEX.
Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, also received a pardon in 2025 after serving time for anti-money laundering violations at Binance.
Earlier in Trump’s term, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht was granted clemency for his life sentence connected to the dark web marketplace.
Freedom 250 initiative faces transparency lawsuit
Watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has sued the US Department of the Interior after the agency allegedly refused to release documents linked to Trump’s Freedom 250 initiative. PEER claims the private organization was formed after the administration failed to gain control of the official bipartisan America250 commission created by Congress to oversee the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The lawsuit follows reports alleging that taxpayer funds may have been redirected to Freedom 250 through the National Park Foundation without congressional approval. PEER is also seeking records related to communications between Interior officials and Freedom 250 leaders, amid accusations that the initiative is being used to sell access to Trump, to seek foreign donations, and to use public resources to support a private political agenda.
Enjoyed this? Bookmark DeFi Planet, explore related topics, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and CoinMarketCap Community for seamless access to high-quality industry insights
Take control of your crypto portfolio with DEFI PLANET PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools
