Trump granted amnesty to Zhao Changpeng, and Binance may return to the United States, potentially ch

The presidential pardon decree instantly ignited excitement throughout the cryptocurrency community. The news that Binance and its founder, Zhao Changpeng, were returning to the spotlight was like a bombshell in the market. BNB prices skyrocketed, investor sentiment grew positive, and discussions on social media about whether Binance could return to the United States became rampant. It is widely believed that this could be not only a turning point for Binance but also a sign of how U.S. crypto regulations may evolve in the future. If Binance were to re-enter the U.S. market, it could lead to a reshuffle in the global digital asset landscape.

According to Wall Street News, White House spokesperson Levitt stated that President Trump had issued a pardon for Mr. Zhao, based on his constitutional powers. He was one of the individuals targeted by the Biden administration during their campaign against cryptocurrencies… The Biden administration’s campaign against cryptocurrencies has now ended.

Trump himself told reporters that many people recommended that Zhao be pardoned, and he believed that Zhao was innocent.

Many suggested that Zhao should be pardoned; many said he hadn’t committed any crimes at all… He simply suffered under the persecution of the Biden administration. That isn’t a crime.

After the pardon announcement, the price of BNB, which is one of Binance’s main traded tokens, rose by up to 8%. This increase spread to the entire crypto market, with Bitcoin rising by 3% and Ethereum by 3.7%, indicating that investors responded positively to this news.

This dramatic change has quickly drawn attention to the possibility of Binance returning to the American market. In 2023, Binance admitted to violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws and was fined up to $4.3 billion. As a result, it was prohibited from operating in the United States. Zhao Changpeng himself served nearly four months in prison in 2024 due to this violation. This pardon is seen as removing one of the major legal obstacles that faced both he and Binance.

The market responded positively to this news. Binance said, “We appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his commitment to making the United States a global center for cryptocurrencies.”

The most immediate impact of this pardon is seen at the market level. Jaime Baeza, managing partner of crypto hedge fund AnB Investments, said that this news brought about a “pressure release effect.”

Adam McCarthy, a research analyst at Kaiko, also noted that BNB’s value increased significantly compared to other assets, as the pardon “eliminated a potential obstacle for Binance and its co-founder.”

Data shows that BNB is the third-largest cryptocurrency by value, after Bitcoin and Ethereum (excluding stablecoins), with a market value of $157 billion. Zhao Changpeng has been actively involved in developing the BNB blockchain recently. His family office, YZi Labs, has also invested in several digital asset companies that hold BNB tokens.

A spokesperson for Binance told MarketWatch, “We appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his dedication to making the United States a global center for cryptocurrencies.”

The path back to the U.S. brings both opportunities and regulatory challenges.

This pardon opens up possibilities for Binance to return to the world’s largest capital market.

Ian Weisberger, CEO of the encryption algorithm platform CoinRoutes, believes that if Binance can resume operations in the United States, it will open up the world’s largest cryptocurrency trading platform for American investors. This could “change the rules of the game in the US cryptocurrency market.” According to MarketWatch, one possible path is for Binance to apply to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to become a foreign exchange commission. Alexander Blume, CEO of the crypto trading company Two Blume, said that Binance’s return could provide more liquidity for institutional investors in the U.S., and bring more competition to the market. However, the road to recovery isn’t easy. Seoyoung Kim, a professor of finance at Santa Clara University, emphasized in an interview that Binance’s return is “far from guaranteed.” It still needs to obtain approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the CFTC for the products it plans to offer. Political controversy and interest considerations also play a role here. Critics argue that this move may involve political interests. Binance is reportedly one of the main supporters of World Liberty Finance, a crypto project initiated by the Trump family and supported by Binance itself. Mark Hays, deputy director of crypto and fintech policies at the Washington-based organization “American Financial Reform,” told MarketWatch that this pardon reflects “corruption from the White House” and “depicts a dark picture of how American politics is being influenced unfairly.” He believes that if Binance truly returns to the U.S. market, it could indicate growing political bias.Despite the controversies and regulatory obstacles, Trump’s pardon undoubtedly adds a crucial factor to Binance’s future. The market will be closely watching to see whether this crypto giant can, and can do so within the framework of U.S. regulations, navigate this uncertain path toward recovery.