Trump on CZ Pardon: "I Don't Know Who He Is"
The denial comes amid growing scrutiny over Trump-linked crypto ventures and his family’s deepening ties to Binance via World Liberty Financial.
President Trump said he has “no idea” who 
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is, despite granting him a pardon last month. The comment follows scrutiny over Trump-linked ventures with Binance and his family’s growing crypto empire.
What's the scoop?
- Pardon Confusion: Trump told 60 Minutes he didn’t know who CZ was, even though he pardoned him in October after his 2023 conviction for failing to prevent money laundering at Binance.
- Business Ties: Binance has become financially entangled with World Liberty Financial, a Trump-associated crypto platform that sends 75% of its revenue to a company tied to the Trump family. CZ's pardon came weeks after Abu Dhabi’s MGX announced a $2B deal with Binance using World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin.
- Trump’s Justification: He called CZ a “victim of the Biden administration,” claiming his pardon aimed to “make America number one in crypto.” He said: "They sent him to jail and they really set him up. That’s my opinion. I was told about it."
Bankless take:
Trump’s denial of knowing about CZ feels like political theater meant to deflect corruption optics while signaling loyalty to the crypto vote. That said, his administration’s aggressive pro-crypto pivot—complete with pardons, deregulation, and rhetoric about “American dominance”—cements digital assets as a defining wedge issue of his presidency.
William M. Peaster
William M. Peaster, Senior Writer, has been with Bankless since January 2021. Immersed in Ethereum since 2017, he covers the onchain frontier with a particular interest in art, games, and other culture apps. He has a background in creative writing and writes fiction in his free time.
