Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, has officially confirmed that his legal team has submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon from the US government. This decision came after increased media speculation about his potential pursuit of clemency.
During a podcast interview with Farokh Sarmad of Rug Radio on May 5, Zhao revealed that the pardon application was submitted in response to articles published by Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. He stated, “I got lawyers applying, and we only submitted after the Bloomberg article and the WSJ article came out. And then I was like, well, if they’re writing this article, I might as well just officially apply, right?”
This public acknowledgment from Zhao is the first of its kind regarding the pardon application, which has been the subject of speculation in recent months. Traditional media reports have suggested that Zhao’s pardon request may be tied to a financial arrangement involving the Donald Trump family and Binance.US. Additionally, there were claims that he agreed to cooperate against other figures in the crypto space, including Tron founder Justin Sun, as part of any plea deal. However, Zhao has vehemently denied these allegations, stating that they are politically motivated and lack factual basis.
In the podcast interview, Zhao reiterated his position while criticizing traditional media for targeting high-profile individuals with one-sided narratives. He expressed, “From my perspective, like, the traditional media—they pick their target, they pick their person, and then they try to go after them, right? So they pick Elon, they pick Donald Trump, they pick myself, and many others. And the narrative is very consistent—once they pick you, it’s just completely negative. Negative articles about you.”
During the same interview, Zhao also shared his perspective on President Trump’s leadership style, particularly in trade negotiations. He commended Trump for treating international diplomacy more like business transactions rather than traditional geopolitical maneuvering. Zhao praised Trump for his business-like negotiation tactics, stating, “It’s not your typical geopolitical-style negotiation. It’s actually a very typical business type of negotiation. In business, you go super high, then go low, then high again—you fluctuate until you eventually land at a spot that works. That’s very common in the business world.” He described Trump as a “deals guy” who understands leverage and strategic positioning, noting that while such tactics can disrupt industries and economies, he finds the method more straightforward and transparent than conventional political posturing.
In conclusion, Zhao’s formal request for a presidential pardon has sparked significant interest and speculation within the media. His comments in the podcast interview shed light on his perspective on the situation, as well as his views on President Trump’s leadership style. Despite the ongoing scrutiny and controversy surrounding the pardon application, Zhao remains steadfast in his denial of the allegations against him and his commitment to transparency in the face of media criticism.