Denial of Business Ties and Personal Acquaintance
Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao spoke for the first time about his pardon by President Donald Trump on Fox News’ Special Report program. Zhao stated that the timing of the pardon came as a surprise to him and strongly denied any business ties to the Trump family. Answering the program host’s questions, CZ confirmed Trump’s words, “I don’t know him,” and interpreted this as meaning there is no personal acquaintance.
“We've never met, we've never spoken. Trump may have just referred to me as 'the crypto guy.' That's it.”
CZ, who said he met with Eric Trump only once, at the Bitcoin MENA conference held in Abu Dhabi, claimed that there was no other contact.
Addressing Allegations of a Deal for Profit
Trump's pardon sparked discussions in the US press about “a donation or deal for profit.” The Wall Street Journal claimed that CZ's representatives met with figures close to Trump during the election campaign to resolve Binance's legal issues and that he was seeking an agreement with the Trump family on a joint cryptocurrency venture. CZ completely denied these allegations.
“These allegations are categorically false. I have never had any business relationship with Trump's sons, World Liberty Financial, or any Trump family company. There are no agreements or discussions whatsoever.”
Clemency Process and Voluntary Surrender
Zhao said his lawyers applied for clemency in April but have not received any information on how the process is progressing.
“You don't know when it will happen, whether it will happen or not. It just happened one day.”
When reminded of the US Department of Justice’s statement accusing Binance of targeting US customers and failing to comply with regulations, CZ reiterated that he accepted the accusations.
“I have nothing to discuss. I came to the United States voluntarily and chose to solve problems directly. This was the final chapter of my book.”
Optimism for Crypto Regulation in the US
CZ expressed his positive response to Trump's recent announcement that he was ending anti-crypto policies. Zhao noted that the US now has a clearer regulatory framework, adding, “I want to help America become the capital of crypto.”
“I believe my name has been cleared. I am now ready to do more positive things with my life.”