# Trump on CZ Pardon: "I Don't Know Who He Is"

*Author: William M. Peaster*
*Published: Nov 3, 2025*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/news/trump-cz-pardon-i-dont-know-him*

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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*](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/03/trump-60-minutes-binance-cz-pardon.html) 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%](https://bankless.ghost.io/the-debasement-trade-luke-gromen/) 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.