Thu Oct 23 20:36:10 UTC 2025: ## Trump Pardons Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao, Sparking Crypto Industry Celebration

Washington, D.C. – In a move that has sent ripples through the cryptocurrency industry, former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to Changpeng Zhao, the founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance. Zhao was convicted in 2023 for violating U.S. money-laundering laws and subsequently sentenced to four months in prison.

The pardon, announced Thursday by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, was justified as Trump “exercising his constitutional authority,” accusing the Biden Administration of waging a “war on cryptocurrency.”

Zhao, a Canadian citizen born in China, took to social media platform X to express his gratitude, stating, “I am deeply grateful for today’s pardon and to President Trump for upholding America’s commitment to fairness, innovation, and justice.” He further pledged to “do everything we can to help make America the Capital of Crypto.”

Zhao’s conviction stemmed from Binance’s failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program, leading to a hefty $4.3 million penalty for the company. Prosecutors emphasized that Zhao’s violations of the Bank Secrecy Act were unprecedented in their scale, as the law requires financial institutions to know their customers, monitor transactions, and report suspicious activity.

This pardon is the latest in a string of clemency acts by Trump towards individuals in the crypto space and those convicted of white-collar crimes. Notably, Trump also pardoned the three co-founders of crypto exchange BitMEX in March, who had pleaded guilty to similar violations. He has also pardoned the founder of electric truck company Nikola, who was convicted of fraud, and commuted the sentence of the executive of the now-defunct startup Ozy Media. In January, he issued a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, a controversial figure within the crypto community.

While the specific details of the pardon remain undisclosed, it potentially paves the way for Zhao’s return to Binance, which he co-founded in 2017. It could also facilitate Binance’s expansion within the U.S. as the cryptocurrency industry continues to boom under a more crypto-friendly Trump administration.

Trump’s stance on cryptocurrency, marked by promises to reverse the policies of the Biden administration, has garnered significant support from the crypto sector. This pardon reinforces his commitment to the industry and signals a potentially significant shift in U.S. policy towards digital assets. The move is expected to spark debate and further scrutiny of the regulatory landscape surrounding cryptocurrency in the United States.

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