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Presidential Clemency Record

Changpeng Zhao

Pardon

  /   2025–Present

Record at a Glance

Clemency type
Pardon
Presidential term
2025–Present
Federal district
Western Washington
Offense
Failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program
Sentence
Four months' imprisonment; $50,000,000 fine (April 30, 2024)
Current status
A Binance May 2026 publication describes Zhao as founder of Binance and Giggle Academy. This is a limited public-status indicator, not proof of a formal executive or regulatory role.

Original Case

Changpeng Zhao founded and led Binance, which became the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to willfully causing the company to violate the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program. Zhao admitted that Binance served U.S. customers and therefore had to register with federal regulators and adopt controls such as customer-identification procedures and transaction monitoring. Prosecutors said he prioritized growth and revenue instead, allowing users to trade for years with little identifying information and enabling transactions involving sanctioned jurisdictions and illicit proceeds. Zhao resigned as Binance's chief executive as part of the resolution. The court sentenced him to four months in prison and imposed a $50 million fine. His individual guilty plea and sentence were separate from Binance's corporate guilty plea, more than $4 billion in penalties, and compliance-monitoring obligations.

Clemency

On October 21, 2025, Trump granted Zhao a full and unconditional pardon in his Western District of Washington case. Zhao had already served the four-month prison term and paid the criminal fine; the pardon relieved continuing federal consequences but did not undo Binance’s separate corporate plea, fine, forfeiture, or compliance obligations.

Trump Connection

Trump said he did not believe he had personally met Zhao and described the pardon as something requested by Zhao's supporters. Zhao held no formal role in Trump’s campaign or White House. Public reporting has examined business and political connections surrounding the grant, but no cited evidence ties a commercial relationship or payment to the pardon.

Sources

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