Ongoing discussions at the White House regarding US President Donald Trump potentially pardoning Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao might actually be progressing, as per a recent report.
Individuals that are close to Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao or “CZ” are now claiming that discussions at the White House appear to be making some progress on the possibility of a Presidential pardon. This, according to an update from Fox Business Senior Correspondent Charles Gasparino.
SCOOP: People close to @cz_binance, the former @binance chief who spent some time in the can amid the Biden Admin's crackdown on all things crypto, say discussions inside the White House are heating up on the possibility of a pardon from @realDonaldTrump. Many Trump insiders…
— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) October 10, 2025
Gasparino claims that so-called Trump insiders believe the fraud case against CZ was actually quite weak and definitely not something that deserved a serious felony conviction or even any jail time.
Earlier this year, Zhao had stated during a discussion that he applied for a pardon from Trump after his release from prison. The WSJ reported in March of this year that Zhao had requested a pardon, but was denied at that particular time.
Gasparino recently stated that sources now claim Trump is leaning toward a pardon, which may potentially set the stage for CZ’s return to Binance
He is still the crypto exchange’s largest shareholder.
However, the Trump Administration may have some concerns regarding the “optics” of a pardon, potentially due to the president’s heavy involvement in the crypto sector. Trump‘s family members including Eric Trump are now quite active and vocal about the potential of Bitcoin and other crypto-assets. This could, in some ways, present a conflict of interests according to critics.
Since the bull market of 2017, Binance has emerged as the world’s largest crypto exchange in terms of the wide range of services that it offers as well as the sheer size and scope of its operations. Despite making considerable progress, Binance has recently faced significant performance issues. The exchange did not appear to handle the current crypto market flash crash too well.
However, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao has come a very long way and remains a strong supporter of the business. Binance Coin (BNB) has also become one of the most valuable digital assets that is supported by one of the strongest web3 ecosystems. CZ’s potential pardon may be viewed as something very bullish for crypto markets, potentially sending the market a lot higher than current levels.