After pleading guilty, Do Kwon is likely to receive a 12-year prison sentence, followed by deportation from the US. His cooperation with the courts has apparently resulted in significant leniency.

The presiding judge, Paul Engelmayer, emphasized that Kwon must pay $19 million in fines and accept responsibility for the criminal activities of Terraform.

Do Kwon will receive a lighter sentence than Sam Bankman-Fried.

Do Kwon signaled his intention to plead guilty to nine federal charges yesterday, incurring a potentially lengthy prison sentence. This process would avoid a prolonged trial.

However, it was unclear how the court would exercise leniency in light of his position. Today, court reporters followed the judge's comments, determining that a 12-year sentence is likely.

AUSA Ravener: So the defendant could not appeal any sentence of 25 years or less. The agreement notes that if the defendant accepts responsibility and commits no new crime, the government will advocate for a term not to exceed 12 years.

— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) August 12, 2025

Specifically, Do Kwon agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and electronic fraud as charged. These charges could result in a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

  • Charge 1: Involves a scheme linked to the Terra blockchain, including Chai, Mirror Protocol, the Genesis Stablecoins, and the Luna Foundation Guard (LFG).

  • Charge 4: Electronic fraud involving the use of interstate and foreign communications to carry out the scheme.

One of the conditions, of course, is agreeing not to appeal the court's verdict. Furthermore, Do Kwon will have to pay over $19 million in financial penalties and accept responsibility for all the criminal misconduct of Terraform Labs.

Additionally, after serving the sentence, he will likely be deported from the US. Kwon is not a citizen, and he could be deported earlier. However, it seems that the judge is inclined to have him serve his sentence first.

This story is developing, and Judge Engelmayer may change his decision in the future.

The article 'Do Kwon could receive a 12-year prison sentence after pleading guilty' was first seen on BeInCrypto Brazil.