CZ Denies Trump Ties, Says He Was Surprised by Presidential Pardon

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao says he never met Trump and was surprised by his unexpected presidential pardon.

Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) says he was caught off guard by Donald Trump’s presidential pardon, stressing he has no personal or business ties with the former US president or his family.

Speaking on Fox News, CZ explained he only met Eric Trump once at a Bitcoin conference in Abu Dhabi, denying any link between Binance, World Liberty Finance, and Trump’s ventures. “I did not know when or if it would happen,” Zhao said, adding his lawyers filed the petition months earlier.

Trump, meanwhile, told reporters he didn’t know CZ personally but viewed the case as “politically motivated.” The pardon sparked backlash from Democrats, who allege a “pay-to-play” scheme tied to Trump-linked crypto firms. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s lawyer also dismissed CZ’s defamation threat, saying her comments about his conviction under the Bank Secrecy Act were accurate.