How a Billionaire Felon Boosted Trump’s Crypto Company en Route to a Pardon
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao — a billionaire who pleaded guilty to federal crimes and served time in a California jail — allegedly pursued a deal with Donald Trump's cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, as a pathway to obtaining a presidential pardon. After Trump won the election, Binance reportedly formed a task force to strike a deal with the Trump family's crypto business, and this spring took steps that dramatically boosted World Liberty's stablecoin, growing its market cap from $127 million to over $2.1 billion. The implication is that Binance's business support for the Trump family's crypto venture was connected to Zhao ultimately receiving clemency.