World Liberty Financial & Trump's Crypto Pardon: What We Know

Biden's Pardons Were Bad, But Trump's Crypto Pardon is a Whole New Level of WTF

Okay, let's dive into this mess, because, wow, it's a doozy. So, former President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the Binance founder, back in October 2025. And not just any pardon, a "full and unconditional" one. The guy served, what, a fraction of his sentence for failing to prevent money laundering? This is beyond the pale, folks.

The Tangled Web of Crypto, Cash, and Comrades

Now, this isn’t just about forgiving a guy who messed up. This is about the potential corruption oozing from the intersection of crypto, political favors, and, let's be real, the Trump family's business interests. Remember World Liberty Financial (WLF)? The bank offering financial services in digital currencies? They got software from Binance to launch a cryptocurrency. And then, bam, an Emirati fund drops $2 billion into WLF using, get this, WLF crypto itself! One source called it "nuts," and honestly, I can't find a better word for it. Like, who invests that kind of money into a five-week-old cryptocurrency?

And here’s where it gets truly interesting, right? Two weeks later, Trump announces the Emirates will invest in America, and the U.S. will provide them with highly restricted AI chips. Coincidence? Maybe. But Occam's Razor suggests otherwise. Lawrence Lessig hit the nail on the head: this could be seen as an attempt to "ingratiate with the president." It's like something out of a spy thriller, but with more Dogecoin.

Let's talk about Elizabeth Oyer, the former head of pardons at the Justice Department. She was replaced by a Trump loyalist last spring after she refused to sign off on restoring gun rights to Mel Gibson. Now, she's calling the Zhao pardon "corruption," saying the influence of money was "unprecedented." I mean, it's hard to argue with that. What does it say when career civil servants are being sidelined for political expediency?

The Trump camp is, predictably, denying everything. Trump claims he doesn't even know Zhao, that he was told Zhao's actions "weren't even a crime," and that he was "persecuted by the Biden administration." Eric Trump says his father has nothing to do with WLF. Zhao himself says he doesn't have a business relationship with any of Trump's sons. World Liberty lawyers admit Binance provided "freely available" software but deny any contact with the president. Everyone's lawyered up, everyone's denying, and frankly, it all smells fishier than a week-old sushi platter.

Binance still holds about $2 billion in World Liberty Financial. According to one source, without Zhao's contribution, "the technology doesn't exist". The attorney for Zhao and Binance stated that neither provided technical support, personnel, or any other resources to World Liberty. It's a he-said-she-said situation on steroids.

The fact that so many people involved are afraid to even talk about it on 60 Minutes? That speaks volumes.

It's a Complete Circus

This whole situation is a mess of epic proportions. It raises serious questions about conflicts of interest, political influence, and the wild west that is the crypto world. How can we trust our leaders to make decisions in the public interest when personal financial gain seems to be a driving factor? It's time for some serious accountability, because this isn't just a pardon—it's a potential breach of public trust.