Trump Family Considering Investment in Binance.US
President Trump’s family has been weighing an investment in Binance.US, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The investment would come just a couple of years after Binance’s U.S. arm pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering regulation.
Changpeng Zhao’s Legal Troubles and Push for Pardon
As part of that guilty plea, Binance’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, paid a $4.3 billion fine and spent four months in prison back in 2023. He also agreed to step down as CEO — but remains the main shareholder in the cryptocurrency exchange. Zhao is currently the 24th richest person in the world, according to Forbes’ ranking. The WSJ claims he’s been pushing for a pardon from the Trump administration.
Implications of a Potential Deal
Zhao’s conviction has made it difficult for Binance to find commercial partners in the U.S. or apply for crypto licenses in Europe. “I have had no discussions of a Binance U.S. deal with … well, anyone,” Zhao said in a post on X refuting the WSJ’s reporting. But if discussions between Binance and representatives of the Trump family are indeed taking place, it seems to boil down to a simple question: What’s the value of a presidential pardon?
