U.S. President Donald Trump defended the recent pardon granted to Changpeng Zhao, the founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance. During an interview with CBS News, Trump asserted that he had no personal relationship with Zhao, arguing that the pardon was a strategic decision aimed at preserving American dominance in the cryptocurrency sector. This claim, however, has sparked intense controversy. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the pardon as a sign of systemic corruption fueled by financial interests and alleged a connection between Zhao’s financial ties and Trump-affiliated businesses. Trump denied these accusations, emphasizing his sons’ separate business ventures from his government duties.