Changpeng Zhao, the founder and former CEO of Binance, has formally requested a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump following media reports that claimed that he has sought one.
Zhao revealed on the Farohk Radio podcast, aired Tuesday, that he submitted the pardon application through his lawyers two weeks ago, prompted by media reports speculating about his intentions. CZ spent 4 months in jail back in 2024 after pleading guilty to money laundering charges and prohibited from working for Binance as part of the deal.
The application follows stories that claimed Zhao sought a pardon amid discussions of business deals involving crypto ventures linked to the Trump family. As per the reports, Zhao initially denied these, calling the Wall Street Journal’s facts inaccurate and stating he had not discussed any Binance U.S. deals.
However, he acknowledged on the podcast that the articles spurred his decision to formally apply, saying, “If they are writing this article, we might as well just officially apply.”
Zhao served a four-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2023 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program at Binance.
He was fined $50 million, while Binance paid a record $4.3 billion settlement. Despite remaining the largest shareholder of the world’s biggest crypto exchange, Zhao emphasized he is not interested in resuming his CEO role.
The pardon request comes amid a wave of clemency for crypto figures under Trump’s administration. In January, President Donald Trump had forgiven Ross Ulbricht, who created Silk Road, a website linked to Bitcoin’s early use. He also granted pardons to Arthur Hayes and the other three founders of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX in March. These pardons show Trump freeing people involved in cryptocurrency who faced legal trouble.
Changpeng Zhao is also asking to forgive him. His situation shows that crypto leaders are still being closely watched by the government. It also highlights how cryptocurrency is becoming a major part of U.S. politics.
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