Sam Bankman-Fried's appeal against his 2023 conviction and 25-year sentence is under scrutiny by the US Court of Appeals, which questions the impact of excluded evidence on the case. The court is assessing whether the evidence presented was sufficient for conviction and if key evidence was improperly excluded. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Bankman-Fried's associates have considered seeking a pardon from Donald Trump, though the former president has not commented publicly. Prosecutors allege that Bankman-Fried and three cooperating witnesses misused FTX customer funds to cover personal losses. The former FTX CEO's appeal comes amid ongoing bankruptcy proceedings that reveal significant mismanagement and misuse of customer funds, leaving him with little public sympathy.