Mon, 03 Nov 2025

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 'No idea who he is,' says Trump after pardoning crypto tycoon

The president pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the co-founder of the world's largest crypto exchange, in October.
US President Donald Trump claims he doesn't know who cryptocurrency billionaire Changpeng Zhao, also known as "CZ", is, despite pardoning him last month. In an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes, Trump was asked about the pardon but denied any knowledge of Zhao or his case. Zhao pleaded guilty to enabling money laundering in 2023 and served four months in prison before being allowed to step down as CEO of Binance, a crypto exchange he co-founded. Despite Zhao's pardon, government prosecutors had described him as causing "significant harm to US national security". However, Trump claimed that Zhao was the victim of a "witch hunt" by the Biden administration. The president also expressed his support for cryptocurrencies and stated that the US needs to be a leader in the industry or risk losing out to China. Trump's pardon allows Zhao to run financial ventures again, but it is unclear whether it will change his standing with US regulators or his role at Binance. Critics have accused Trump of issuing pardons motivated by personal financial interests, including one for Justin Sun, a crypto entrepreneur who invested in the Trump family's crypto firm.
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