Two former FTX executives, Ryan Salame and Caroline Ellison, have had their prison sentences reduced, according to recent information from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The developments come as debate intensifies over the treatment of high-profile figures implicated in one of the most significant fraud scandals in the cryptocurrency sector’s short history.
Salames’ sentence reduced by one year
Ryan Salame, a former co-CEO of Bahamas-based FTX subsidiary FTX Digital Markets, served a 7.5-year prison sentence in October. Court records now show that his release date has been pushed back to March 1, 2031 – a year earlier than his originally scheduled April 2032 release.
Salame pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and unlawful transfer of funds in connection with the collapse of FTX in November 2022. While federal prosecutors had originally sought a prison sentence of five to seven years, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan imposed a 90-month prison sentence, citing the magnitude of the losses to investors and customers. The Bureau of Prisons has not issued a public statement further explaining the specific reasons for the newly shortened release date.
Ellison was also released early
Caroline Ellison, former managing director of Alameda Research – a hedge fund affiliated with FTX – also had her sentence reduced. Originally sentenced to two years in prison, Ellison is now expected to be released three months earlier than planned, with an expected release date of July 20, 2026.
Ellison’s conviction was based on her role in brokering funds between Alameda and FTX, as well as her cooperation with prosecutors against Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of FTX. Bankman Fried, the…
