Crypto industry leaders are buzzing with speculation about whether Binance, the largest crypto exchange globally by trading volume, will make its way back to the United States after the recent pardon granted to its founder, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, by President Trump.
“We will exert every effort to position America as the capital of crypto and to enhance Web3 on a global scale,” CZ stated in a post on X following his pardon from the US president. He has also updated his social media profile to drop ’ex-Binance’ in favor of just ‘Binance’, further intensifying discussions surrounding his revival at the firm and its potential return to the US market.
CZ
Source: CZ on X
David Namdar, the CEO of BNB Network Company, remarked, “CZ’s pardon marks a pivotal moment for BNB and Binance, potentially opening avenues to the US market.”
He highlighted that BNB, despite its recent resilient performance, has largely been overlooked by Western investors, even as it surged to all-time highs in October.
Namdar
Source: David Namdar on X
The prospect of Binance returning could allow US retail traders greater access to the world’s premier centralized crypto exchange, increasing trading volumes and possibly driving asset prices up.
In 2019, Binance launched a separate platform, Binance.US, to comply with regulations for American users. This platform lacks the global exchange’s extensive liquidity and derivatives trading, working under BAM Trading Services.

US Legislators Are Divided on the CZ Pardon

Trump informed reporters that many in the crypto community advocated for CZ’s pardon and that the Biden administration had “persecuted” him.
“Many claim he did no wrong. He was incarcerated for four months, yet they say he is innocent,” Trump commented.
Trump
US President Donald Trump responds to questions during a briefing. Source: The White House
Despite this, several lawmakers criticized the pardon, including prominent Democrats such as Representative Maxine Waters and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Waters remarked that the pardon indicates “pay-to-play” dynamics, suggesting that the crypto industry holds sway over Trump.
Similarly, CZ publicly challenged Warren’s assertions, claiming she incorrectly stated he pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Zhao did admit to a felony for not maintaining an effective Anti-Money Laundering (AML) program at Binance, for which he received a four-month prison sentence in April 2024.