President Trump on Thursday pardoned Binance co-founder and former cryptocurrency kingpin Changpeng Zhao, following a months-long campaign by Zhao and other crypto leaders.

Zhao served four months in prison last year after pleading guilty to violating U.S. finance laws in 2023. The Canadian businessman admitted that Binance essentially permitted money laundering on the platform, allowing everyone from drug cartels and terrorist groups to child sex traffickers to conduct business on the exchange.

Following his release and Trump’s inauguration, Zhao launched a multi-pronged push for a presidential pardon . He praised Trump on podcasts, partnered with his family’s cryptocurrency company and paid lobbyists to plead his case.

“First, Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to a criminal money la

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