Former President Donald Trump granted a presidential pardon to Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ). This decision, based on legal arguments that his actions weren’t criminal in nature, has sent shockwaves through the crypto community. **Trump explained during a press briefing:** ‘Many experts told me this wasn’t even a real crime.’ He emphasized that CZ had strong public support and cited industry experts who argued against criminalizing his compliance issues with U.S. regulations. This pardon comes after CZ stepped down from Binance leadership in connection with previous regulatory settlements. The crypto world responded to the news with varied reactions, some celebrating it as a sign of potential change in US crypto regulation, while others are voicing concern about the implications for future enforcement policies.