Trump Denies Knowing Binance Founder CZ After Pardon for Money Laundering
President Trump pardoned Binance founder CZ for money laundering but denied knowing him during a '60 Minutes' interview.Summary
President Donald Trump issued a controversial presidential pardon in October 2025 to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), erasing his anti-money laundering conviction. Despite this, Trump stated in a '60 Minutes' interview that he does not know CZ, dismissing the prosecution as a "Biden witch hunt." The pardon followed CZ's 2023 conviction for failing to implement AML controls, which resulted in a four-month sentence and a $50 million fine for him, and a $4.3 billion penalty for Binance. The timing of the pardon has raised concerns due to reports of a $2 billion partnership between Binance and World Liberty Financial, a Trump-linked firm whose stablecoin Binance helped facilitate. Seven Senate Democrats have called for a federal investigation into the pardon, alleging abuse of executive power and potential conflicts of interest, concerns amplified by a House Committee report noting irregularities in the stablecoin's funding. CZ's legal team has threatened to sue Senator Elizabeth Warren over her remarks, while critics argue the pardon undermines accountability in the digital asset sector.
(Source：BeInCrypto)