Share this article
Former FTX Executive Ryan Salame Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison
Salame's lawyers had asked for 18 months.
Updated May 29, 2024, 4:52 p.m. Published May 28, 2024, 4:14 p.m.
- A U.S. court sentenced former FTX executive Ryan Salame to 7.5 years in prison
- In addition, Salame was ordered to pay more than $6 million in the forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution.
Former FTX executive Ryan Salame has been sentenced to 90 months, or 7.5 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, said in a release published Tuesday.
“Ryan Salame agreed to advance the interests of FTX, Alameda Research, and his co-conspirators through an unlawful political influence campaign and through an unlicensed money transmitting business, which helped FTX grow faster and larger by operating outside of the law," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. "Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system. Today’s sentence underscores the substantial consequences for such offenses.”
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Salame had previously pled guilty to conspiracy for unlawful political contributions, defrauding the Federal Election Commission, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, with the hopes of getting leniency from the court and a shorter prison sentence of 18 months.
When asking for leniency and a shorter sentence, his attorneys noted Salame initiated the FTX investigation, cooperated with U.S. authorities, and faces lifelong stigma due to FTX's collapse.
In addition, Salame was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6 million in forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution.
Former Alameda-FTX executives Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang also pled guilty and sought plea deals to avoid jail.
More For You
L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.
What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
More For You
U.S. bipartisan lawmakers draw up tax bill with stablecoin and staking relief
New House proposal would exempt some stablecoin payments from capital gains taxes and allow stakers to defer income recognition for up to five years.
What to know:
- A bipartisan bill in the U.S. House aims to modernize tax rules for digital assets, addressing issues like excessive taxation and tax abuse.
- The PARITY Act proposes tax exemptions for stablecoins, deferral options for staking rewards, and aligns digital assets with traditional securities.
- The bill includes measures to prevent tax loss harvesting in crypto and offers tax benefits to foreign investors trading through U.S. brokers.
Top Stories
