Why did they give CZ 4 months and SBF 25 years in prison?
One former CEO went to trial and maintained his innocence, another admitted guilt and turned himself in.

Two figures who were once considered titans in the cryptocurrency industry are going to jail in the United States for drastically different periods of time.

Since the sentencing hearings for former FTX CEO Sam "SBF" Bankman-Fried and former Binance CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, many inside and outside the crypto space have questioned why the two industry leaders They have received such different treatments in the United States legal system. bankman

Bankman-Fried could be in her mid-50s when she leaves prison and likely has fewer assets than Zhao, who will be out of prison by the end of the year and, according to Forbes, has an estimated net worth of $33 billion.

But let's back up for a moment.

Bankman-Fried was arrested in 2022, extradited to the United States, pleaded not guilty, placed under house arrest, sent to prison after accusations of

witness intimidation, tried in a six-week trial, found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Zhao was charged in 2023, pleaded guilty, was allowed to remain free on bail, was sentenced to four months in prison and will turn himself in within days.

The former FTX CEO faced seven serious charges related to investor fraud and misuse of client funds. CZ faced a charge related to the failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program at Binance.