Trump Pardons Binance Boss CZ – Crypto Markets Go Wild
President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who had pled guilty in 2023 to a Bank Secrecy Act violation, paid $4.3 billion, and served four months in prison. Zhao remains Binance’s largest shareholder but stepped down as CEO last year. The pardon follows a broader pro-crypto shift by the Trump administration, including SEC case dismissals and new federal crypto laws. Bitcoin traded near $111,000 on the day of the pardon.