Crypto: Donald Trump Pardons The Founders Of BitMEX

This is a strong gesture that marks the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term as President of the United States: the president has officially granted his presidential pardon to the three co-founders of the crypto exchange platform BitMEX — Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed.

Donald Trump Grants Presidential Pardon to the Founders of BitMEX

Convicted in 2022 for violating the Bank Secrecy Act, the three crypto entrepreneurs had acknowledged that they neglected to implement effective anti-money laundering (AML) systems and customer identity verification (KYC). BitMEX was fined $100 million in January 2025 and placed on probation for two years.

Donald Trump’s decision to wipe the criminal records of these iconic figures in the crypto sector is part of a broader strategy. Barely back in power, the Republican president is signaling support for the digital asset industry, breaking from the more restrictive approach of the Biden administration.

However, Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of FTX sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud, remains incarcerated despite his parents’ pleas for leniency and his own efforts in this regard. He has even been secretly transferred and placed in “isolation” after making shocking revelations to Tucker Carlson. This disparity in Donald Trump’s decisions raises questions about the potential political motivations behind these acts of clemency.

A Divisive Pardon

This gesture already provokes mixed reactions. For supporters of cryptocurrency, it is a clear signal of political support for entrepreneurs in the sector. Some see it as a desire to make the United States a global crypto hub by easing regulatory pressure on exchange platforms.

But critics denounce a form of impunity, highlighting that the offenses committed by the founders of BitMEX — Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed, jeopardized the financial integrity of the system. This pardon from Donald Trump, although legal, could undermine the credibility of regulatory efforts in decentralized finance.

With this new pardon, Donald Trump confirms his intention to rehabilitate key figures in the crypto sector. After having pardoned Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, it is now the turn of the BitMEX creators to benefit from his clemency. A strong message for a crypto-economy placed at the heart of his political agenda.