White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the pardon, stating, “President Trump exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration in their war on cryptocurrency.”
Thank you, President Trump @POTUS for your leadership and for your commitment to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the world! CZ’s vision not only made Binance the world’s largest crypto exchange but also shaped the broader crypto movement. Binance remains focused on building a secure, transparent, and user-first platform that reduces fees and increases access to the financial system for all.
Cochran also questioned the significance of the pardon, emphasizing that Zhao had already served his time and asked, “What difference does the pardon make?” He argued that it allows Zhao to take the reins of Binance or other financial projects again and removes oversight requirements.
Cochran concluded that this situation represents “the CLEAREST case of pay-for-crime,” asserting that Trump has made it clear that “crime can be overlooked in America” as long as one can afford to pay for a pardon.
Following this development, Binance Coin (BNB) surged back toward $1,122, marking a 3.6% gain within 24 hours.
Featured image from Reuters, chart from TradingView.com
