US Appeals Court Upholds Sam Bankman-Fried's 25-Year Sentence and $11 Billion Asset Forfeiture

The US federal appeals court formally upheld the conviction of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on Friday, August 7, 2026 (16 Mordad 1405). His 25-year prison sentence and the previously ordered forfeiture of $11 billion in assets remain in effect. Arzdigital reported that the court rejected Bankman-Fried's appeal and returned the case to the district court for enforcement proceedings.

Appeals court judges, including Judge Barrington Parker, said they found no legal error in the trial or in the November 2023 jury instructions that found Bankman-Fried guilty on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy tied to the collapse of FTX and its trading affiliate Alameda Research. Bankman-Fried can still seek review from the US Supreme Court, though that would not automatically halt enforcement of his sentence. The US Senate unanimously passed a non-binding resolution in July opposing any pardon or sentence reduction for him.