Binance founder and former CEO Changpang “CZ” Zhao says the recent report by WSJ.com got some facts wrong. Apparently, chatter regarding the possible sale of, or investment in, Binance US to the Trump family is inaccurate, and rumblings that he would receive a pardon as part of any deal are incorrect.
“Sorry to disappoint. The WSJ article got the facts wrong. More than 20 people have told me they were asked by the WSJ (and another media), “Can you confirm that CZ made some deal for a pardon?” They probably asked hundreds of people to have 20 people reach out to me. In essence, they tried hard to make a story to report. Fact: I have had no discussions of a Binance US deal with … well, anyone,” said CZ.
He added that a pardon would be nice and thought the article may have been more of a hit piece on Trump and crypto or “residual forces of the “war on crypto” from the last administration are still at work.”
Bloomberg also took some shade as they followed with another missive on a potential deal.
CZ responded, calling Bloomberg’s article another “baseless hit piece” and claiming the write-up “basically admitted that their whole article is purely imaginary.”
“Is this what “news” has become?” he asked.
CZ founded Binance, which eventually became the largest crypto exchange in the world. Like many other crypto-affiliated operations, Binance became a target of regulators. In the US during the Biden Administration, a settlement was orchestrated with the exchange that saw CZ serve some prison time and the US Department of Treasury do a victory lap, claiming a historic action and an enormous $4.3 billion penalty.
After exiting the US market, Binance US recently fired up operations in the US.