US President Donald Trump has granted a pardon to Changpeng
Zhao, the founder of Binance, a White House official confirmed today (Thursday),
Reuters reported.
The pardon allows Zhao to return to the business he created.
He has served a four-month prison sentence as ordered by a US judge. It remains
unclear whether Zhao will actually return to Binance or take a different path
in the crypto industry.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a
statement that Trump had “exercised his constitutional authority by
issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration
in their war on cryptocurrency.”
Binance Ends Multi-Year Misconduct Investigation
Zhao, who founded Binance in 2017, previously stepped down
as chief executive when the company reached a $4.3 billion settlement with US
authorities. The settlement concluded a multi-year investigation into alleged
misconduct at Binance, then the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
BREAKING: Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, whose crypto exchange has been boosting the Trump family’s own crypto venture, WSJ reports.The most corrupt president in history. pic.twitter.com/llQieMuzYs
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 23, 2025
Executives Receive Pardons Under Trump Administration
This decision is part of a broader pattern of pardons issued
by Trump to executives convicted of crimes. Earlier in 2025, he pardoned the
founders of crypto exchange BitMEX over anti-money laundering violations and
the founder of Nikola, who had been convicted of fraud. He also commuted the
sentence of a former executive of the now-defunct media company Ozy Media.
Our whitelist is already a massive success! Thousands of people have joined, and we’re just getting started. Don’t miss your chance to be part of something revolutionary. pic.twitter.com/ZdLsqZ8eyH
— WLFI (@worldlibertyfi) October 1, 2024
Binance in Talks with Trump Family Crypto Venture
Binance is reportedly in discussions to
list a dollar-pegged stablecoin linked to the Trump family’s World Liberty
Financial venture. Representatives of the exchange have also met with US
Treasury officials to discuss oversight matters.
While neither Binance nor Zhao have confirmed any business
deal, earlier reports indicated that Trump family representatives explored
acquiring a stake in Binance.US. Key figures in World Liberty Financial include
Donald Trump and his sons, who hold advisory and promotional roles in the
project.
This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.
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