FTX’s SBF Appeals 25-Year Sentence, Claims He Was ‘Presumed Guilty’

• The FTX appeal highlights growing regulatory scrutiny, which brings stabilize long-term investors confidence in Ethereum.
• Despite short-term volatility in FTX, ETH remains fundamentally strong, with clearer legal outcomes as the renew institutional demands.

Following the disclosure in a previous Crypto News Flash (CNF) report, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried claimed that the crypto exchange was never insolvent, insisting it always had enough funds to repay all former customers. Yet, during the appeal hearing, the judges asked tough questions and showed little sympathy for his claim that he was “presumed guilty” from the start.

Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) is now attempts appealing his 25-year prison sentence, but the hearing before a three-judge panel in New York did not go smoothly for his side. His lawyers argued that the trial judge, Lewis Kaplan, unfairly restricted their ability to prove that FTX had the assets to repay customers and that SBF had relied on legal advice.

Regarding FTX’s solvency or his reliance on counsel, the defense asserted that Bankman-Fried was stopped from telling jurors the full story. However, the judges seemed unconvinced, with one pointedly asking:

Are you seriously suggesting that if your client had been able to testify about the role (FTX) that attorneys played … the not guiltys would have rolled in?

From prison, Bankman-Fried has remained active online, posting through a friend on X. In a recent message titled “Where Did the Money Go?” he claimed FTX had enough crypto to cover all withdrawals if bankruptcy lawyers hadn’t seized control too quickly.

FTX’s Impact on ETH: Bullish or Bearish

From a broad market lens, this report leans moderately bullish for ETH. Because of the SBF and FTX saga underlines the need for clearer regulatory frameworks—an environment that generally favoring established networks like Ethereum once uncertainty in subside.

Furthermore, analysts say the ongoing legals surrounded the Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX could have wider implications for the crypto market, as it shapes investor sentiment and regulatory expectations:

FTX and SBF and  case has become more than a courtroom drama—it’s a bellwether for how the crypto industry is viewed and regulated, influencing investor confidence and the market for cryptocurrencies like Ethereum.

At the time of writing, Ethereum (ETH) is however, trading at approximately US $3,307.38 with decrease of 5.95% in the past 24 hours and 17.51% in the past week, according to live data from CoinMarketCap. While ETH remains under short-term pressure, broader factors such as legal clarity, institutional flows, and technological strength may drive its medium-term recovery.

Although near-term risks persist with legal rulings to potential market shocks—the long-term narrative still supports Ethereum’s resilience, given its strong fundamentals, broad adoption, and growing institutional interest. See ETH price chart below.