⚖️ U.S. President Donald Trump has officially pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), The Wall Street Journal reports, citing informed sources. Formal details have not yet been published on the White House website, but insiders claim the signature is already there. The crypto world is in shock, delight, and mild confusion all at once.
The Binance Legal Saga
In November 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act — his company failed to implement an adequate anti–money laundering program. Essentially, Binance turned a blind eye to billions of dollars flowing between users while regulators slept peacefully.
As part of the plea deal, CZ agreed to step down as CEO and pay a massive fine. In April 2024, the court sentenced him to four months in prison. He was released in September that same year — smiling, in good shape, and reportedly full of new startup ideas.
The Road to Pardon
Rumors of a potential pardon had been circulating for weeks. Betting platforms even opened odds — and by September, they started dropping fast. CZ himself fueled speculation by quietly removing the “ex-@binance” tag from his social media profiles. A hint? More than obvious.
By early October, analysts were saying Trump was “leaning toward a pardon.” The reasoning was pragmatic: bringing back a heavyweight like Zhao could revive the U.S. crypto scene and boost America’s influence in the digital asset market. Or, to put it simply — big money likes to stay close to the White House.
The Possible Return of CZ
Now Zhao’s hands are seemingly untied. A presidential pardon technically erases the conviction, paving the way for his possible return as Binance CEO. He remains the company’s largest shareholder — meaning the door is open, the chair is waiting, and the market is holding its breath.
Who knows — perhaps we’ll soon see a dramatic reunion, with CZ announcing a “new era of transparency and compliance.” In practice, that’ll likely look like: Binance is back, now with a sign reading “All legal. Promise!”
Political and Financial Context
For Trump, this move is part of a broader strategy. Since taking office, he’s already pardoned three BitMEX co-founders, including Arthur Hayes, and even Ross Ulbricht from Silk Road, who was serving two life sentences plus 40 years.
The crypto community jokes that America has invented a new business model:
- Create an exchange.
- Quietly “relieve” clients of $8 billion.
- Pay half as a fine, another couple billion for the pardon.
- Keep $2 billion clean.
- Profit.
“Hopefully CZ writes a book,” users quip. “He could make it a series: Breaking Bad: Blockchain Edition or How to Pump Your Token and Walk Away Clean.”
🔥 And a Personal Note
Honestly, this whole story is starting to burn a little. Especially remembering October 2025 — when reports surfaced about Binance’s role in several “unofficial” deals. Trump may have quietly shelved the investigation, but knowing his style, it surely wasn’t free.
We’ve already seen his “friendships” with Elon Musk and Justin Sun — both masters of networking, but with Trump, friendship usually comes with a premium subscription plan.
So CZ’s pardon isn’t the end of the story — it’s just the first chapter in a new book: How Crypto Became Politics Again, and Politics Became Business.
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