Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao over money laundering conviction

President Trump granted a full pardon to Changpeng Zhao, founder and former CEO of Binance, on October 31, 2025. Zhao had pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement anti-money laundering programs at Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and had served a four-month federal prison sentence. The pardon was widely seen as part of the administration's broader embrace of the cryptocurrency industry.