TL;DR
- Changpeng Zhao (CZ) confirmed he applied for a presidential pardon from Trump, less than a year after serving time in a U.S. prison.
- He filed the request after Bloomberg and WSJ reports predicted the move and denied ties with Binance US.
- CZ also revealed he advised Kyrgyzstan on creating a national crypto reserve based on Bitcoin and BNB.
Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder and former CEO of Binance, confirmed he formally requested a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, less than a year after completing a sentence in a U.S. federal prison.
The entrepreneur shared the news during an interview on the Farohk Radio podcast, explaining that his legal team submitted the request two weeks earlier, following reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal that anticipated his decision.
CZ stated he decided to formalize the application after both outlets published in March that he was seeking a pardon while allegedly engaging in business dealings with Trump family allies. At the time, he denied parts of those claims and dismissed any involvement in negotiations related to Binance US. Ultimately, he chose to move forward with the official request, given that the rumors were already circulating publicly.
CZ Clarified He Doesn’t Hold Any Trump-Linked Memecoin
The former executive was sentenced in April 2024 to four months in prison after pleading guilty to failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering program at Binance, which at the time was the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume. Alongside serving his sentence, CZ paid a $50 million fine, while Binance agreed to a $4.3 billion settlement. It became one of the largest corporate deals ever recorded in U.S. history.
Trump has already granted pardons to other well-known figures in the crypto industry, including Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and the co-founders of BitMEX. His administration has promoted a more lenient regulatory approach toward digital asset platforms. That same trend raised expectations that Zhao could eventually obtain a similar benefit.
During the interview, CZ made it clear he doesn’t hold the official Trump-linked memecoin and avoided commenting on possible contact with Trump’s circle. He also disclosed that he recently advised the government of Kyrgyzstan on setting up a national cryptocurrency reserve using Bitcoin and BNB.
