🚨 Breaking News - The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to give Changpeng Zhao, the Co-Founder and former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, a presidential pardon.
In 2024, Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to four months in prison along with a $50 million fine. He also had to resign as Binance’s CEO and step down from any executive role from the firm.
In a post on X, New York Post columnist and Fox correspondent Charles Gasparino said that people close to Zhao have been saying that Trump insiders think the case against him was “pretty weak” and didn’t need a felony charge or jail time. And since Zhao is still Binance’s biggest shareholder, these talks have made it possible for him to come back to the crypto exchange.
The U.S. confirms that seized Bitcoin will now be part of its strategic reserve. This move could reshape the landscape of cryptocurrency regulation and economic strategy. U.S. Confirms Seized Bitcoin Joins Strategic Reserve. #bitcoin #MarketRebound #StrategyBTCPurchase #WriteToEarnUpgrade $BTC
🚨 BREAKING 👉 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that President Trump secured "nearly $9 trillion" in investment to the U.S. during his second term.
“I will ensure the future of Bitcoin and crypto is made in the USA,” says President Trump. For DeFi, this means faster institutional participation, stronger compliance frameworks, and broader mainstream adoption without slowing innovation.
Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (CZ), rapidly growing from a simple crypto-to-crypto platform to a vast ecosystem with its native BNB token, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Launchpad, and more, known for high volume but facing increasing global regulatory scrutiny, leading to legal issues, significant fines, and CZ stepping down as CEO in late 2023, with Richard Teng taking over.
Early Growth & Expansion (2017-2019) 2017: Launched in China, quickly became dominant due to low fees and speed. Introduced Binance Coin (BNB) during its ICO, initially an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. 2018: Moved operations from China to Malta due to regulatory pressures, launched mobile app, and expanded to the US market. 2019: Launched Binance DEX (decentralized exchange) and Binance Launchpad for IEOs (Initial Exchange Offerings). Ecosystem Development (2020-2022) 2020: Launched Binance Smart Chain (BSC) for developers, alongside Binance Chain, offering low fees and fast transactions. Ongoing: Introduced Binance Earn (staking, lending), acquired CoinMarketCap, and expanded services like Binance NFT. Regulatory Challenges & Leadership Change (2023-Present) Faced major investigations in the US and UK for money laundering and tax offenses. Nov 2023: CZ pleaded guilty to US charges, resulting in a $4.3 billion penalty; CZ stepped down as CEO. Late 2023/2024: Richard Teng became CEO; Binance reached settlements with US authorities. 2024/2025: Continued regulatory pressure globally, with some countries restricting access, but also saw CZ's pardon in late 2025. December 2025: Co-founder Yi He was appointed as co-CEO. Binance User's History Binance has surpassed 300 million users globally, a milestone announced around late 2025/early 2026, solidifying its position as the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange by users and trading volume. This growth reflects massive adoption, with an addition of 30 million users in 2025 alone, demonstrating strong global demand for digital assets and the platform's extensive offerings.