Zony Crypto

The United States government is navigating uncharted territory as its current shutdown crosses the grim 30-day threshold, an event that has only occurred once before in the nation's history. With the political stalemate showing no immediate sign of breaking, the current funding lapse is poised to become the **longest government shutdown in U.S. history** within just six days, eclipsing the previous 35-day record.

### **Echoes of the Past, Fears for the Future**

As of today, the shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, is the second-longest in history, with only the 35-day partial shutdown of late 2018 and early 2019 being longer. That 2018-2019 event, which occurred during the first term of President Donald Trump, set the current benchmark for congressional deadlock over funding for a border wall.

The 2025 shutdown is the result of a failure by Congress to pass appropriations legislation for the new fiscal year. This time, the key points of contention reportedly revolve around partisan disagreements on issues including:

* **Federal Spending Levels:** A fundamental difference in priorities for the national budget.
* **Foreign Aid Rescissions:** Disputes over cutting previously approved international assistance.
* **Health Insurance Subsidies:** A failure to reach an agreement on the extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the expiration of which is set to significantly increase premium costs for millions.

### **The Growing Impact: A Nation on Hold**

The human and economic toll of the extended shutdown is mounting daily. An estimated **900,000 federal employees have been furloughed**, and approximately two million more are working without pay, creating severe financial strain for hundreds of thousands of families.

Crucial government services are increasingly at risk, extending beyond the closure of National Parks and the suspension of certain research projects:

* **Food Assistance:** One of the most critical and immediate impacts is the threat to the **Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)**, with funding for benefits for millions of Americans set to run out.
* **Essential Workers:** Despite being deemed "essential," federal law enforcement, air traffic controllers, and active-duty military personnel are working without their regular paychecks.
* **Economic Drag:** Economists warn that the prolonged lapse in funding is beginning to create a sustained drag on the national GDP, with long-term effects on investment and maintenance costs for federal infrastructure.

### **A Race Against the Clock**

The current standoff pits the White House and Congressional Republicans against Democrats, with both sides holding firm on their key demands. A clean funding bill to simply reopen the government has repeatedly failed to pass the Senate, largely due to the need for a 60-vote threshold to overcome the filibuster rule.

Should a funding resolution not be reached within the next six days, the 2025 government shutdown will officially enter the history books as the longest-ever, marking a new low point for legislative functionality in Washington. The approaching deadline for this unenviable record is intensifying pressure on all parties to find a compromise and end a fiscal crisis that is increasingly translating into a humanitarian one.
#US #TRUMP

**WASHINGTON D.C.** — President Donald Trump has issued a full presidential pardon to Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, the founder and former CEO of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. The pardon effectively erases Zhao's criminal conviction for violating U.S. anti-money laundering (AML) laws, a decision the White House framed as ending the "war on cryptocurrency" by the previous administration.

Zhao, one of the most prominent and wealthiest figures in the crypto industry, had pleaded guilty in November 2023 to a felony charge of willfully failing to maintain an effective AML program at Binance. As part of a massive, multi-billion dollar settlement with the U.S. government, he stepped down as CEO and was later sentenced to four months in prison, which he served.

### **White House: Pardoning "Prosecuted" Crypto Innovator**

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision, stating that President Trump exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Zhao, "who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration in their war on cryptocurrency."

> "In their desire to punish the cryptocurrency industry, the Biden Administration pursued Mr. Zhao despite no allegations of fraud or identifiable victims," Leavitt said. "The Biden Administration's war on crypto is over."

Trump himself, when asked about the pardon, suggested he acted on the recommendations of "a lot of very good people," claiming that "a lot of people say that he wasn't guilty of anything" and was "persecuted by the Biden administration."

### **Corruption Allegations Follow Pardons and Business Ties**

The clemency decision has immediately ignited a firestorm of criticism, with Democratic lawmakers and legal experts alleging the pardon is a clear case of "pay-to-play" corruption.

Critics point to the significant and recently reported business ties between Binance and the Trump family's own crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. Reports surfaced that Binance had aided the Trump family's crypto enterprise, including administering an under-the-radar trading platform. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren blasted the move, arguing that Zhao lobbied for the pardon after boosting a Trump-affiliated crypto venture.

"Trump is selling pardons to anyone who can personally profit him. It's a shameful abuse of power and a mockery of justice," said Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler.

### **Zhao and Binance Express Gratitude**

Following the news, Zhao, who had reportedly campaigned for the pardon for months, posted his gratitude on X (formerly Twitter).

> "Deeply grateful for today's pardon and to President Trump for upholding America's commitment to fairness, innovation, and justice. 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Will do everything we can to help make America the Capital of Crypto and advance web3 worldwide," he wrote.

Binance also released a statement describing the news as "incredible" and thanking the President for his commitment to making the U.S. the "crypto capital of the world."

The pardon clears Zhao's conviction, potentially removing barriers to a future leadership role at Binance and signaling the Trump administration's aggressive shift toward easing scrutiny on the digital asset industry. The global cryptocurrency market reacted positively to the news, with major tokens like Bitcoin and Binance's BNB experiencing a jump in value on optimism over the shifting regulatory environment in the U.S.
#Trump #Binance