Binance founder Changpeng Zhao served four months in prison last year|Web Summit|CC BY 2.0
President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao following months of lobbying efforts by Zhao. He thanked Trump on X and vowed to “help make America the Capital of Crypto.”
Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, had faced legal troubles. Zhao had served four months in prison last year after his company pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating US money laundering laws.
The company was subsequently fined $4.3 billion and banned from operating in the US.
Trump’s pardon could pave the way for Binance to return to the US and could also end a three-year DOJ monitoring of the company.
Binance has been a major supporter of Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto venture. Its BNB token has surged nearly 80% in 2025, making it the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.