Former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison is set to leave in January 2026.
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Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison is scheduled to be released from federal prison on January 21, 2026, according to data from the US Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Key Takeaways:
Former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison is set to be released on Jan. 21, 2026, 10 months early.
Ellison pleaded guilty to the FTX failure and cooperated with prosecutors to help secure the conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried.
Despite facing a 10-year ban and ongoing supervision, her early release shows cooperation and good behavior.
Ellison, 31, has been in community detention since October 2025 after being extradited from a federal prison in Connecticut, Business Insider reported earlier this month.
Her release date put her out of prison 10 months before the full two-year sentence imposed by the court.
Ellison pleads guilty to losing billions in FTX failure
Ellison pleaded guilty in December 2022 to fraud and embezzlement charges related to the collapse of FTX, the crypto exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried.
The FTX collapse caused billions of dollars in customer losses and is one of the most significant scandals in the history of the digital asset industry.
As part of her plea agreement, Ellison cooperated extensively with federal prosecutors and served as a key witness during Bankman-Fried's criminal trial.
Her testimony detailed how Alameda and FTX commingled customer funds and hid financial deficiencies, contributing to Bankman-Fried's multiple fraud charges. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Louis Kaplan ordered Ellison to forfeit $11 billion in September 2024 and serve two years in prison, beginning in November of this year.
The earlier than expected release appeared to reflect good conduct commendations and her cooperation with investigators.
In a pre-sentence filing, CEO John J. Ray III, who oversees FTX's bankruptcy estate, said Ellison provided “valuable assistance” to creditors in recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in assets.
Those efforts have played a role in attempts to return funds to customers affected by the collapse.
Earlier this month, Ellison agreed to a 10-year ban from serving as an officer or director of public companies or cryptocurrency exchanges.
After her release, she will remain on supervised release, which will limit her future involvement in supervised financial transactions.
Bankman-Fried wants Trump's clemency, saying the FTX case is politically motivated
Meanwhile, Bankman-Fried continues to receive post-conviction relief. He is seeking clemency from US President Donald Trump, who has previously issued high-profile crypto-related pardons, including former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.
Banman-Fried argued that the charges were politically motivated, which prosecutors denied.
According to Bureau of Prisons records, Bankman-Fried is currently scheduled to be released in September 2044, underscoring the stark difference between the two former executives.
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