Trump Pardons Binance Founder CZ

President Donald Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to failing to maintain effective anti-money-laundering controls, served about four months in prison in 2024, paid a personal fine, and whose company agreed to roughly a $4.3 billion settlement. The White House framed the clemency as an end to the Biden administration’s “war on crypto,” saying the prior prosecution harmed U.S. technology leadership. Industry observers say the pardon could clear a path for Binance to seek renewed access to the U.S. market and signals a potentially softer U.S. regulatory stance toward digital assets. Markets reacted sharply: Binance’s BNB and related tokens rose and the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token jumped. The decision revived scrutiny of lobbying and financial ties between Zhao, Binance and Trump-affiliated crypto ventures, prompting conflict-of-interest concerns even as Trump defended the move and Zhao expressed gratitude and intentions to support U.S. crypto growth.