Key Highlights:
- Changpeng Zhao (CZ) responds to a recent query about refund of $4.3 billion fine.
- CZ clarified that he has not asked for a return and if he does get a refund, it will be reinvested in America.
- Teresa Goody Guillén calls Sen. Warren claims a pile-of false statement.
Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the founder and former CEO of Binance, has addressed a fresh speculation surrounding the exchange’s U.S. legal settlement and has offered a rare clarity on his stance towards the matter. His recent presidential pardon has brought fresh attention to Binance’s past issues and his role going forward.
User’s Question Triggers CZ’s Response
Today on social media platform X, one of the users jokingly asked CZ if he would ever get back the $4.3 billion now that he has been pardoned. CZ responded to this delicate question and responded in a playful way, showing that he was well-aware of the ongoing chatter.
Changpeng Zhao , with his response, clarified that he has never asked the U.S. government to return any part of the settlement amount. He also added that if, at any point, a refund were to be received, then that fund will be used to invest back in America as a way of showing appreciation for the country and for the regulatory system that handled the case.
ah, delicate question.
1. I appreciate the pardon already. There is a balance in asking for more vs “what is fair” vs appreciate what you got already.
2. IF we get any refund, we will be investing that in America anyway, to show our appreciation.
Haven’t asked yet, I think🙏
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) November 17, 2025
By providing this explanation, CZ addressed the ongoing speculation in the crypto community about whether his presidential pardon could lead to changes in the settlement.
His message also highlighted a broader intention where the exchange and the leadership want to maintain a cooperative relationship with the U.S. authorities and want to reinvest any potential refund would be a symbolic gesture of goodwill.
The Back Story
Binance, world’s biggest crypto exchange, became the focus of a major legal action in late 2023 and early 2024. U.S. authorities, including the Department of Justice (DOJ) and several financial agencies, accused the company and the founder, CZ, of breaking important anti-money laundering laws. Officials said Binance allowed risky transactions and did not follow the required safety checks in order to keep growing its business in the U.S.
CZ later admitted to some of the violations and paid a $50 million personal fine. He later stepped down from his position of being a CEO of the exchange. As a part of the settlement, Binance agreed to major compliance changes and also agreed to have outside monitoring for a span of five years. The total penalties on Changpeng Zhao and Binance came out to be $4.3 billion, which was one of the biggest fines ever given to a crypto company.
Why was CZ Pardoned?
On October 23, 2025, President Donald Trump granted Changpeng Zhao a full pardon and wiped out all the legal consequences of his U.S. conviction. This came after CZ had already served a short four-month prison sentence in 2024, even though prosecutors had pushed for a much longer term. The White House later defended the pardon and stated that the earlier crackdown on crypto was overly aggressive and it hindered innovation within the crypto space and the country.
There were rumours that Changpeng Zhao and Binance had actively pushed for this outcome, including making large payments to Trump-aligned groups at a time when U.S. attitudes towards strict crypto regulations were starting to shift.
Pardon Triggered Political Controversy
The pardon set off a political storm, especially after U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren accused Changpeng Zhao of using his influence and money so that he could be pardoned. She went to the heights of calling the pardon “corruption,” and claimed that CZ supported one of Trump’s crypto ventures and lobbied for help.
Changpeng Zhao later denied her claims and asked her to get her facts right. His lawyer, Teresa Goody Guillén also defended him and argued that the criticism was based on false assumptions and misunderstanding about how both business and blockchain work. She even called Sen. Warren’s claims and her criticism as a pile-up of false statements. She further argued that Changpeng Zhao was unfairly targeted during the “war on crypto” and the pardon simply corrected an overly harsh response.
Also Read: Binance’s CZ Plans Defamation Lawsuit Against Sen. Warren
