Binance founder Changpeng Zhao—more widely known as CZ—has confirmed that he has indeed applied for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, reversing his previous denial of such efforts. The admission came during a candid conversation on the May 6 episode of Farokh Radio , where Zhao said he figured, “If they’re writing this article, I may as well just officially apply.” The revelation follows media reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal in March, which alleged that Zhao was seeking clemency as part of a wider web of discussions involving Binance.US and potential Trump family business interests. At the time, Zhao publicly dismissed the reports. Now, however, he openly acknowledges that lawyers acting on his behalf submitted the application roughly two weeks ago. Zhao also cited Trump’s past pardons of BitMEX founders —most notably Arthur Hayes—as part of what nudged him toward filing. “No [person] would mind a pardon,” he said, adding that he believes he may be the only individual in U.S. history serving time solely for a Bank Secrecy Act violation. 4-Month Sentence and the Shadow of a $4.3B Settlement Zhao’s legal troubles date back to his November 2023 guilty plea on money laundering charges, part of a massive $4.3 billion settlement struck between Binance and U.S. regulators. Zhao personally contributed $50 million and agreed to step down as Binance CEO as part of the deal. In April 2024, a U.S. judge sentenced him to four months in prison . Though a presidential pardon would not erase his conviction, it could legally enable him to return to a managerial role at Binance.US—something he is currently barred from under the terms of his plea. Still, Zhao appears to have moved on from any CEO ambitions. Speaking at Binance Blockchain Week last year, he made it clear: “I feel the team is doing well and doesn’t need me back.” Post Binance Life Since stepping away from Binance, Zhao has reemerged as a crypto consultant in Central Asia. He now advises Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan on blockchain policy and regulation, signaling a pivot toward public-sector influence rather than corporate control. As the crypto industry watches closely, Zhao’s pardon request to Trump could add another wrinkle to the ongoing narrative of crypto’s uneasy dance with regulation, power, and redemption. The post Binance Founder Confirms Pardon Request to Trump After Denials appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .
