Binance founder says he was ‘a little bit surprised’ by Trump pardon in first interview since clemency

Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao expressed surprise at receiving a presidential pardon, stating he was "a little bit surprised" when it happened. He had been serving a four-month prison sentence for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls at Binance, a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act, to which he pleaded guilty. Zhao made these remarks in his first interview since being granted clemency, telling Fox News that the timing and occurrence of the pardon were uncertain, contributing to his surprise. The pardon was granted on October 23rd, following reports that the White House had been actively debating the possibility of pardoning Zhao. Reports had surfaced suggesting that Zhao's representatives had explored a potential deal between Binance and the Trump family's cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, which was allegedly discussed as leverage for a pardon. However, Zhao vehemently denied these allegations, stating that there were no such deals or discussions and that the reporting was "categorically false." He empha... download the app to read more