Binance founder who pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2023 and was pardoned by Trump in October 2025
Background
Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as CZ, is a Canadian-Chinese billionaire and the founder and former CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. In November 2023, Binance pleaded guilty to Bank Secrecy Act violations and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in settlements, and Zhao personally pleaded guilty to money laundering charges. He was sentenced to four months in federal prison in May 2024. Donald Trumppardoned him in October 2025, which critics characterized as part of a broader pattern of crypto-industry access-for-pardon arrangements involving the Trump administration.
