CZ Makes Hail Mary Play: Binance Founder Officially Asks Trump for Pardon

In a move that reeks of regulatory desperation—or sheer crypto audacity—Binance’s Changpeng Zhao has formally requested a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The timing? Impeccable, if you ignore the four-year prison sentence looming over the ex-CEO like a speculative altcoin bubble.

Sources close to the matter confirm the plea landed on Trump’s desk last week. No word yet on whether it was filed between golf swings or NFT promotions.

Legal experts call it a long shot. Crypto traders call it leverage. Either way, it’s the most entertaining use of political capital since a certain meme coin ‘funded’ a NASCAR team.

And let’s be real: in an industry where ‘decentralization’ often means ‘offshore entities,’ this might just be the most transparent play CZ’s made yet.

In Brief

• CZ admitted in a podcast that his lawyers had filed a pardon request with Trump.
• This action follows after he denied this information in March.
• The pardon would not erase his conviction but could allow him to resume a role at Binance.

From Denial to Confirmation: CZ’s Reversal

During an episode of the Farokh Radio podcast aired on May 6, Changpeng Zhao acknowledged that his lawyers had filed a presidential pardon request about two weeks earlier.

This reversal comes after he firmly denied the information published by Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal in March, which claimed he was seeking clemency from Trump.

“I have lawyers who made a request,” he stated, adding that he had ultimately decided to “officially apply” following those press articles.

CZ also specified that the recent pardon granted by TRUMP to the three BitMEX founders, including Arthur Hayes, encouraged him in this approach.

This request comes amid persistent rumors about possible negotiations between the Trump family and Binance for acquiring a stake in the exchange’s American subsidiary. The Wall Street Journal revealed in March that these discussions reportedly began in 2024, while CZ was serving his sentence.

A Conviction That Limits His Influence on Binance

In November 2023, Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to money laundering as part of an agreement with U.S. authorities.

This settlement cost Binance $4.3 billion, of which $50 million was paid personally by CZ. He was also forced to resign from his CEO position.

Sentenced to four months in prison, the entrepreneur was also barred from working at Binance under the terms of his plea agreement.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a presidential pardon WOULD not erase his conviction but could potentially allow him to resume a managerial role at Binance US.

Despite this approach, CZ states that he does not want to return to lead Binance. “I feel the team is doing well and doesn’t need me“, he said during the Binance Blockchain Week in November.

Since his release from prison, he has transitioned into a role as an advisor in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan on crypto regulation matters.

This potential pardon and the Trump-Binance rapprochement could mark a turning point in U.S. crypto regulation. After years of tension between authorities and exchange platforms, this strategic alliance could signal a new, more favorable approach to the sector, consolidating the United States’ position as a welcoming ground for blockchain innovation.

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