Binance founder Changpeng Zhao confirmed he applied for Donald Trump to pardon his money laundering conviction after denying earlier reports that he’d done so. Binance founder and convicted felon Changpeng Zhao says that he applied for a pardon from US President Donald Trump shortly after denying reports that he was seeking one. Zhao, also known as CZ, said on a Farokh Radio podcast episode aired May 6 that he “wouldn’t mind” a pardon and that his lawyers have already filed the paperwork on his behalf “I got lawyers applying,” Zhao said, adding that he submitted the request after Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported in March that he was seeking a pardon from Trump amid discussions of a business deal between the Trump family and Binance.US. Read more
The network's token price and onchain metrics are rising after a period of stagnation in 2023. Binance-affiliated BNB Chain has rebounded after a period of stagnation in 2023 amid accelerating institutional and decentralized finance (DeFi) adoption. During the past year, BNB Chain has benefited from multibillion-dollar inflows into DeFi, US exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and rising trading volume at affiliated centralized exchange (CEX) Binance. Consequently, the blockchain network’s native BNB token (BNB) has emerged as among the market’s most resilient cryptocurrencies, surpassing all-time highs in the first quarter of 2025 even as the broader crypto market trended downward. Read more
Binance has partnered with Kyrgyzstan to roll out crypto payments and launch blockchain education programs in the country. Binance has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kyrgyzstan’s National Agency for Investments to introduce crypto payment infrastructure and blockchain education in the country. The MoU was formalized during the inaugural meeting of the Council for the Development of Digital Assets, attended by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, the exchange said in a May 4 press release. As part of the agreement, Binance will introduce Binance Pay to Kyrgyzstan, enabling crypto-based transactions for visitors and residents. Read more