Washington | Crypto

Anonymous donors said they pooled funds to recognize Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday with a 14-foot-tall statue.

CZ’s pardon by Trump followed a lobbying push that included $450,000 to Trump-linked lobbyists and $290,000 to former SEC chair contender Teresa Goody Guillén. Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s pardon by US President Donald Trump came after an extensive and expensive lobbying campaign in Washington. Zhao, who served a four-month prison sentence last year for violating US Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws, benefited from a months-long effort by Binance and its legal team to win over key figures in Trump’s orbit, according to a Sunday report by Politico. In late September, Binance hired Ches McDowell, a close associate of Donald Trump Jr., and his North Carolina-based firm Checkmate Government Relations to lobby the White House and Treasury Department on “executive relief,” the report claimed. Read more

As the US Senate advances the GENIUS Act and lawmakers reintroduce the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, Washington is finally stepping up to the plate on crypto. In this week’s episode of Byte-Sized Insight, on Decentralize with Cointelegraph, we break down a pivotal moment for US crypto legislation.  In a 66–32 procedural vote on May 19, the US Senate advanced the GENIUS Act, a landmark bill aimed at establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for stablecoins. Meanwhile, across the Capitol, Representative Tom Emmer reintroduced the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, backed by bipartisan support. The GENIUS Act — short for “Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act” — seeks to answer foundational questions around stablecoin issuance and oversight. Read more