U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned the three co-founders of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, according to a White House official. 

Additionally, former employee Gregory Dwyer and an entity operating the exchange received full and unconditional pardons, as confirmed by BitMEX in a statement. 

Trump granted pardons to co-founders Benjamin Delo, Arthur Hayes, and Samuel Reed, who had pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement anti-money laundering and know-your-customer programs. 

These pardons come amid rising optimism in the crypto industry regarding potential regulatory easing under Trump, who had expressed support for the sector during his campaign. 

Prosecutors charged BitMEX and its founders with willfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act from 2015 to 2020 due to the lack of proper anti-money laundering and customer verification protocols. 

This week, Trump also pardoned Trevor Milton, the founder of the bankrupt electric and hydrogen-powered truck manufacturer Nikola, who had been convicted of fraud.