The article discusses how Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, received a pardon from Donald Trump after pleading guilty to money-laundering violations, highlighting a trend of leniency towards financial criminals during Trump's presidency. It critiques the framing of Zhao's pardon as a crypto-related issue, emphasizing Trump's broader ideological commitment to absolving fraudsters and scammers. The article also notes the historical context of pardons for white-collar criminals compared to other offenses.
A crypto trader who profited $190 million by shorting the market before a tariff announcement is now believed to have made another $56,522 by betting on President Trump's pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. While some speculate insider knowledge due to the timing of the trades, others argue that the pardon was widely anticipated in the crypto community.