According to a recent disclosure by a White House official, former U.S. President Donald Trump has granted pardons to the trio who founded the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX. This news first broke on CNBC earlier in the day.
It was revealed on Thursday that Benjamin Delo, Arthur Hayes, and Samuel Reed, all co-founders of BitMEX, had received presidential pardons. These individuals had previously admitted to charges of money-laundering. The pardons are seen as a positive sign by the crypto industry, which had been hopeful of more relaxed regulations under Trump’s administration. The former president had actively sought support from crypto donors during his campaign.
According to a Reuters report from January, the founders of BitMEX, Delo, Hayes, and Reed, were accused by prosecutors of intentionally breaching the Bank Secrecy Act between 2015 and 2020. They were alleged to have failed in implementing anti-money laundering and “know your customer” programs. BitMEX has yet to respond to Reuters’ request for comment on this matter.
Furthermore, Trevor Milton, the founder of the now-defunct electric and hydrogen-powered truck manufacturer Nikola NKLAQ, who was found guilty of fraud, has also been pardoned by the president.
