CZ does not want to be Binance CEO but would not mind a pardon from Trump

Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao revealed that he has no desire to serve as Binance CEO again, but admitted that he would ‘absolutely not mind’ receiving a pardon from Donald Trump.

On December 2, former Binance(BNB) CEO Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao responded to Telos Foundation Executive Director John Lilic’s X post mentioning him. Lilic suggested that President-elect Donald Trump should consider pardoning CZ in light of his past accusations, which led to him being sentenced to four months in prison.

“President @realDonaldTrump should consider a pardon for @cz_binance so he can return to being CEO of @binance and help the crypto industry mature and realize its full potential. “He is also a victim of the law,” said Lilic in her X post.

CZ responded to Lilic’s post, explaining that he did not want to return to Binance as CEO. However, he did not object to receiving a pardon from Trump.

“I don’t plan on becoming CEO again. But there would definitely be no harm in amnesty,” CZ said.

I have no intention of becoming CEO again. But there would definitely be no harm in amnesty.

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) December 2, 2024

Responses below the interaction between the Telos executive and the former Binance CEO showed overwhelming support for CZ, with many users commenting, “Free CZ.” Many users wrote that the former CEO could do a lot for the crypto community, whether it be returning to Binance as CEO or taking a seat in the government.

“Yes CZ definitely deserves his place in government for mass adoption of cryptocurrencies,” one user said.

“I don’t work as the CEO of Binance, but I do work as the CEO of crypto,” another user said.

In a public interview following his release from prison, CZ refuted claims that he was under a “lifetime ban” from running crypto exchanges through his plea agreement, saying that “those two words were not included in my plea agreement with the government.”

However, CZ firmly stated that even if he were allowed to return as Binance CEO, he had no desire to do so. Instead, he chose to use his time to provide funding and mentorship to young entrepreneurs looking to launch new projects in the crypto space.

In November 2023, CZ pleaded guilty to charges related to company operations. These included facilitating transactions for countries under US sanctions, such as Iran and Cuba. The charges were primarily related to money laundering.

As part of its plea agreement with the US government, Binance had to pay a $4.3 billion fine, while Zhao personally paid a $50 million fine and agreed to step down as Binance CEO. However, he still has shareholder rights in the crypto exchange.