Crypto
Binance CEO pardon follows Trump family’s growing ties to the cryptocurrency industry
Democrats and one Republican say the pardon is inappropriate given business links between Binance and Trump family crypto interests.
Trump pardons Binance founder convicted of financial crimes
President Donald Trump has pardoned convicted Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, a move anti-corruption advocates are criticizing.
WASHINGTON – Five days after President Donald Trump pardoned the founder of Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange the company helped boost Trump’s fortunes by promoting his family’s own crypto product, a digital coin known as USD1.
“Deposits for $USD1 are now open on @BinanceUS!” the firm’s U.S. subsidiary said in an Oct. 28 post on X, in reference to the Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial cryptocurrency.
Binance also posted promotions saying it would now accept Trump’s separate World Liberty Financial token on its U.S.-based site. Both USD1 and $WLFI were already available on Binance’s international platform, which is not available in the United States. Making both tokens more easily accessible for American investors is likely to increase their value by enlarging the pool of potential buyers.
Trump and his three sons launched World Liberty Financial with Trump’s diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and his sons Zach and Alex in September 2024, and the firm soared in visibility and profit once Trump was elected in November 2024 and began deregulating the crypto industry.
A stablecoin like USD1 is a cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to another asset, in this case the U.S. dollar. Trump’s $WLFI token has no inherent value on its own, and its worth is based on whatever his supporters and investors spend on it. Binance’s Oct. 28 announcement noted that trading would begin Oct 29, giving USD1 its official seal of approval as “a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin … fully backed by regulated reserves including U.S. Treasuries.”
Binance’s founder, Chinese-born Canadian tech tycoon Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, Zhao pleaded guilty to money-laundering in 2023 and served four months in federal prison before being pardoned by Trump on Oct. 23.
Binance does more than host and promote World Liberty Financial: As Zhao was seeking a pardon earlier this year, Binance asked an Abu Dhabi government-backed investment fund, MGX, to use Trump’s USD1 coin when investing $2 billion in Binance, the Wall Street Journal recently reported.
By steering the $2 billion transaction through World Liberty − a fledgling startup run by Trump family members with no crypto experience − the deal effectively increased demand for the family’s cryptocurrency, generating fresh revenue from interest on the growing reserves that back it.
“The opportunity for corruption is not hypothetical. Trump has already given us a staggering example,” the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, said in a May 5 Senate floor speech. MGX’s use of Trump’s USD1 stablecoin to finance its $2 billion investment in Binance, she said, is “essentially giving Trump a cut of the deal.”
‘Persecuted by the Biden administration’
Binance agreed to pay over $4 billion in 2023, to settle a yearslong investigation by the Justice Department and U.S. financial regulators. And it agreed to plug gaps in its financial protocols that prosecutors said had allowed criminals and terrorist groups like Hamas, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State to move illicit money on Binance’s crypto platform.
“Binance became the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange in part because of the crimes it committed – now it is paying one of the largest corporate penalties in U.S. history,” then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
Trump family earns $5B from World Liberty crypto venture
Trump and family made about $5 billion from World Liberty Financial’s $WLFI token, sparking ethical concerns.
The White House and Trump himself have parried questions about the ethics of Zhao’s pardon, which allows the crypto mogul to return to the business he helped found in 2017. They say it’s just Trump making good on his campaign promise to relax overly strict Biden-era regulations that crypto executives opposed.
At an Oct. 23 White House event, Trump told reporters he pardoned Zhao “at the request of a lot of good people” who said the financier “was persecuted by the Biden administration” and that “what he did is not even a crime.”
“The Biden administration’s war on crypto is over,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added in a statement.
Binance did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Zhao’s pardon and its promotion of the Trump coins days later.
But in a X post in response to criticism of the sequence of events by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., it said, “Dear Senator, We conduct comprehensive due diligence and legal review before listing any asset on @BinanceUS, whether it’s a stablecoin, a new ecosystem project, or a meme token.”
Binance said both of the Trump coins, USD1 and $WLFI, are already listed on more than 20 other major crypto exchanges, which are used to buy, sell, store and use cryptocurrencies. “To be clear, this was a business decision on the part of @BinanceUS and nothing more,” the company said. “It’s unfortunate that even routine business decisions are now unfairly politicized by our elected officials.”
The White House also denied any quid pro quo.
In an Oct. 30 statement to USA TODAY, Leavitt said: “The media’s continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are irresponsible and reinforce the public’s distrust in what they read. Neither the President nor his family have ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest.”
Trump initially ‘not a fan’ of cryptocurrency
When a reporter pressed Trump for answers about why he pardoned Zhao and whether it had to do with his family’s crypto investments at the Oct. 23 White House event, he shot back, “You don’t know much about crypto. You know nothing about nothing.”
Trump, for his part, has become a cryptocurrency enthusiast since saying in July 2019 that he was “not a fan of Bitcoin” and that crypto was used to facilitate crime and was “not money.”
Since then, he and his family have made as much as $5 billion in paper gains from their various cryptocurrency holdings, including $864 million in reported actual cash profits in the first six months of this year alone.
They’ve launched their own companies and coins. And they’ve developed ties to industry leaders here and overseas, obtaining investments and donations while granting access to Trump. On May 22, Trump dined with 220 investors who plowed a combined $148 million into his crypto venture, inviting a torrent of criticism about the ethical implications.
By that month, World Liberty had already raised more than $500 million from selling a separate digital token.
Trump signs Genius Act, first major U.S. crypto law, into effect
President Donald Trump signed the Genius Act, establishing the first U.S. crypto law regulating stablecoins.
The top bidder for a seat at that dinner and a separate VIP meet-and-greet was Justin Sun, a Hong Kong crypto entrepreneur who pumped $75 million into World Liberty Financial soon after it launched. Sun, who reportedly had avoided setting foot on U.S. soil for fear of being arrested, had been facing civil fraud charges under the Biden administration. But Trump’s Securities and Exchange Commission stayed the case against him in February.
Another so-called “crypto bro” that Trump pardoned was Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison for founding and operating what the U.S. government said was “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet,” which used bitcoin for transactions, which aided in protecting user identities.
‘A full time, 24/7 corruption machine’
Democrats and even one Republican have criticized the Zhao pardon as especially inappropriate given the business links between Binance and the Trump family’s crypto interests.
“I don’t like it,” retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said about the pardon, saying it sends “a bad signal.”
“He was convicted,” Tillis told reporters on Oct. 23. “He’s not innocent.”
Democrats suggest the pardon could undermine a fraught effort on Capitol Hill to overhaul crypto regulations, which requires bipartisan support.
Murphy, the Democratic senator, posted on X that Binance began promoting Trump’s USD1 crypto coin “one week after Trump pardoned Binance’s owner (for a stunning array of crimes related to terrorist and sex predator financing).”
“The White House,” Murphy added, “is a full time, 24/7 corruption machine.”
The largest US crypto firm also paying Trump lots of money
Binance isn’t the only crypto firm showering money on Trump in the hopes of preferential treatment.
Earlier this year, Trump’s SEC dropped a lawsuit against Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange for buying, selling, storing and using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Trump’s USD1 stablecoin. That happened soon after the company gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
Coinbase has also reportedly confirmed that it is one of many crypto firms funding the new $300 million ballroom that Trump tore down the White House’s East Wing to build.
Coinbase is facing a separate SEC investigation started under former President Joe Biden, and is now seeking SEC approval to offer blockchain-based stocks.
Trump crypto ventures ‘a whopping success’
Since Trump’s election last November, his sons Don Jr. and Eric have embarked on a globetrotting investment roadshow to drum up more crypto investment deals that critics say pose conflicts of interest for the president and national security threats.
“The Trump brothers’ efforts have been a whopping success,” Reuters said in an Oct. 28 special report, “Inside the Trump family’s global crypto cash machine.”
In the first half of 2025, the Trump Organization’s income soared 17-fold to $864 million from $51 million a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations, which it said were based on the president’s official disclosures, property records, financial records released in court cases, crypto trade information and other sources.
“These people are not pouring money into coffers of the Trump family business because of the brothers’ acumen,” Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University, told Reuters. “They are doing it because they want freedom from legal constraints and impunity that only the president can deliver.”
Crypto
What Are KOLs Discussing About the Cryptocurrency Market Today?
The cryptocurrency market dynamics have been consistent over the years, with prices fluctuating in cycles and trends. Such a pattern triggers discussions among crypto community members, particularly key opinion leaders and experts who explore researched data and historical trends to predict the future.
Notably, the evolving nature of the Bitcoin ecosystem triggers sentiments that differ from the digital asset’s early days. Experts analyzing this new phase, alongside developments in alternative cryptocurrency ecosystems, are projecting the crypto market, leaving pointers of what users should expect.
Bitcoin is a Scarce Commodity
One such expert and key opinion leader is Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3, a blockchain project that aims to accelerate hyperbitcoinization. In a recent interview, Mow highlighted the scarcity of Bitcoin that many users have yet to recognize. According to Mow, most people still don’t get what true scarcity means.
🚨 BIG Bitcoin Scarcity Warning from @Excellion (SAMSON MOW, CEO of @JAN3com) 🚨 — COACHTY (@TheRealTRTalks) July 8, 2026
Most people still don’t get what true scarcity means.
“There’s so much demand right now — from $Strategy, ETFs, nation-states, and regular HODLers — that most of the year’s mined $BTC supply is… pic.twitter.com/i2v1BvUadC
The renowned Bitcoin expert explained that there is so much demand for Bitcoin from Michael Saylor’s Strategy, ETFs, nation-states, and regular HODLers. He noted that demand is so high that most of the year’s mined $BTC supply has already been taken up multiple times over.
Mow cited a pattern among many Bitcoiners who typically postpone buying $BTC during pullbacks, expecting that the price would drop further. He emphasized that “there is no later” with Bitcoin, predicting the price will return above $100,000 soon. According to Mow, every institution on earth wants a share of the 21 million Bitcoin supply, which would make the cryptocurrency more expensive in the future.
For context, BlackRock has reportedly resumed accumulating $BTC. After recording steady outflows for approximately two weeks, the asset manager reversed course by purchasing $250 million worth of Bitcoin over the past two days. Besides direct purchases, on-chain data show several $BTC transfers from Coinbase Prime to the IBIT BlackRock wallet, valued at around $17 million to $19 million.
BlackRock’s crypto asset holdings have crossed $50.3 billion, comprising 730,440 $BTC, equivalent to $45.52 billion, and 2.752 million $ETH worth $4.79 billion. According to experts, BlackRock’s crypto accumulation pattern indicates that institutional demand for $BTC and $ETH remains unabated.
Ethereum Remains in Demand
Popular crypto influencer, identified as Tanaka on X, aligns with the growing $ETH demand philosophy. Tanaka described the propagation of settlement layers, such as the Robinhood Chain and the Arbitrum Orbit, as clear examples of how TradFi can move on-chain via L2s. He noted that these solutions create scenarios that funnel into increased demand for $ETH.
Tanaka highlighted the recent surge in meme activity on these chains, noting that the solutions go beyond that, covering real-world assets (RWAs), stock tokens, lending, and DeFi. According to Tanaka, L2 activities settle back to Ethereum, $ETH gas creates demand for using the cryptocurrency, while stock tokens, such as NVDA, AAPL, and GOOG, are going on-chain, all boosting demand for $ETH.
Meanwhile, Tanaka cited a scenario that could create more demand for Ethereum—Robinhood onboarding retail TradFi into tokenized stocks and DeFi. According to him, that would be a very positive signal for $ETH. In the meantime, Ethereum is used as the settlement layer for RWA, DeFi, and traditional financial products.
It is worth noting that developments around the Robinhood Chain are not the only factors behind $ETH’s potential demand. Tanaka noted that, despite considering it a positive catalyst, $ETH still depends on $BTC, macro, ETF flows, and Ethereum upgrades to sustain its momentum and remain relevant in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
The Latest Meme Coin Narrative
Besides Bitcoin and Ethereum, crypto experts consider the meme coins ecosystem another relevant sector of the crypto market, despite the changing dynamics. Zippy, a key opinion leader in the meme coin sector, stated that the lifecycle of meme narratives is getting shorter with every cycle. According to him, what used to last for days or even weeks now often fades within 24 hours.
Zippy noted that most meme tokens experience sharp corrections as soon as liquidity rotates elsewhere. He explained that the new pattern does not mean the meme market is over. Instead, it signifies that capital is rotating at a much faster pace, and rather than staying with one token, the market is constantly chasing the next story.
The meme coin opinion leader noted that the new ecosystem narrative has emerged with meme waves led by ecosystems attracting fresh liquidity rather than old narratives trying to recover. He identified Robinhood as one of the leading ecosystems currently drawing attention in the meme coin sector.
However, Zippy noted that timing matters as much as conviction in the current meme ecosystem dispensation. According to him, sometimes, knowing when to exit is more valuable than knowing when to buy.
Related:Bitcoin Scarcity Gets Real as 403K $BTC Leaves Exchanges
Crypto
Bitdeer Invests $36 Million in First US Sealminer Factory as Bitcoin Mining Margins Stay Tight
Key Takeaways
- Bitdeer is building a $36M Nevada plant to produce 10,000 Sealminer units monthly by 2026.
- Sealminer efficiency targets weak mining margins as hashprice stays near historic lows.
- Bitdeer is expanding U.S. manufacturing and AI infrastructure to strengthen long-term growth.
Bitdeer Targets 10,000 Monthly Sealminer Units With New $36 Million Nevada Factory
Bitdeer is moving ahead with a major U.S. manufacturing push, breaking ground on a $36 million advanced electronics facility in Sparks, Nevada, even as bitcoin mining economics remain near historic lows.
The 187,000-square-foot plant will be the company’s first domestic manufacturing and assembly site in the U.S. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and is designed to produce 10,000 Sealminer units per month.
Bitdeer said the project will create about 70 local jobs across engineering, skilled technician and support roles. The facility will expand the company’s U.S. footprint beyond mining and data centers, adding a domestic production base for its proprietary mining machines.
“Producing our advanced Sealminer units right here in Nevada reflects our long-term commitment to building capacity and nurturing the talent necessary to support our growing digital infrastructure operations in America,” remarked Paul Hanson, Chairman of Bitdeer Industrial.
Vertical Integration During a Mining Slump
The timing is notable. Bitcoin miners are still dealing with weak hashprice, a key measure of mining revenue per unit of computing power.
Spot hashprice was recently around $29.81 per PH/s/day, after touching a daily low of $27.89 on Feb. 24. March also marked a record-low monthly average of $31.27, according to industry data.
The pressure reflects several factors: the April 2024 halving, rising network hashrate, and low transaction-fee revenue. Together, they have reduced revenue for miners using the same amount of computing power.
At these levels, profitability is increasingly concentrated among operators with cheap power and newer, more efficient machines.
Bitdeer is trying to address that pressure through vertical integration. The company has been developing its own Sealminer hardware and deploying the machines across its self-mining fleet.
Catherine Guo, CEO of Bitdeer Industrial, commented that the Sparks plant reflects the company’s contribution to Nevada’s diversifying economy.
“Our commitment underscores the state’s strategic advantages, including a highly accessible and skilled workforce, robust logistics networks, and a consistently business-friendly environment,” Guo said.
U.S. Expansion Meets AI Demand
The Nevada facility will complement Bitdeer’s existing U.S. data centers and its innovation hub in San Jose, California.
The project also comes as Bitdeer expands across mining and AI infrastructure. In its May operating update, the company reported 70.2 EH/s of self-mining hashrate, 921 bitcoin mined during the month, and about $69 million of annualized recurring revenue from its AI Cloud business.
Bitdeer also said it was in advanced talks with a potential colocation tenant at its Tydal, Norway site. That follows a broader industry trend in which miners are exploring AI and high-performance computing uses for power-rich data center assets.
The facility is expected to begin contributing to Bitdeer’s manufacturing capacity as the mining hardware market becomes more selective. Weak hashprice can slow equipment demand, but it can also push well-capitalized miners to replace older machines with more efficient models.
Crypto
British Airline Jet2 Shares Jump 9% After $536M Fuel Hedge Gain Offsets Middle East Travel Fears
Key Takeaways
- Jet2 recorded a $536 million balance sheet windfall on July 8 after locking in low-cost fuel derivatives.
- The Middle East conflict triggered a 67% decline in annual cash inflows as travelers delayed holiday bookings.
- CEO Steve Heapy announced a $335 million buyback program and expanding operations at London Gatwick Airport.
Sector Resilience Amid Fuel Volatility
British airline and package holiday provider Jet2 defied intense geopolitical instability and travel sector panic triggered by the Middle East war by reporting a more than $500 million balance sheet boost, fueled by the rising price of jet fuel.
As the conflict in the Middle East escalated, spiking fuel rates caused the value of the company’s fuel derivatives to soar. According to Jet2’s full financial results released July 8, an extra $536 million in income was primarily driven by these favorable fair value movements.
The financial buffer comes after widespread fears earlier this year that rising energy costs could push airlines into bankruptcy and force massive summer holiday cancellations. In the United States, higher fuel prices contributed to the collapse of low-budget airline Spirit in May. The United Kingdom had been labeled as the nation “most exposed” to the jet fuel crisis, forcing government ministers to scramble to protect airline fuel access and temporarily suspend airport capacity rules.
While Jet2 was able to mitigate the price shock, the broader conflict still took a toll on booking behaviors. The airline conceded that ongoing travel uncertainty from the war caused holidaymakers to delay their trips and book much closer to their departure dates than usual. As a result, Jet2’s cash inflow plummeted by 67% to approximately $103 million for the fiscal year ending March 31.
Financially, Jet2 reported mixed full-year results. Group revenue climbed 4% to $10.05 billion, but pre-tax profit slipped 7% to $738.6 million, hit hard by lower income earned on its cash deposits.
Despite the profit dip, operational metrics showed strong consumer demand. Jet2 increased its total seat capacity by 8% to 24 million and flew 20.8 million passengers — a 5% increase year-over-year. The company also announced a new $335 million share buyback program, pointing to robust liquidity and confidence in its midterm outlook.
On the stock market, shares of the AIM-listed company jumped 9% to $19.92 at Wednesday’s opening bell, leaving the stock up 5% for the year.
Chief Executive Issues Tax Warning
The financial report coincided with an aggressive political warning from Jet2 Chief Executive Steve Heapy. Speaking to shareholders, Heapy cautioned political figures — specifically naming prominent politician Andy Burnham — against treating the aviation and holiday industry as a “cash cow.”
Burnham is widely anticipated to enter Downing Street later this month following recent political shifts.
“Don’t treat the aviation or holiday industry as a cash cow, because taxes increase the price of flying,” Heapy said, pointing out that Jet2 had to absorb $67 million in additional regulatory and tax costs over the last year. “I think, you know, enough is enough.”
Operationally, Jet2 is pushing a major expansion strategy designed to challenge the UK’s dominant legacy carriers. In March, the airline launched a six-aircraft hub at London Gatwick Airport, signaling an aggressive move out of its traditional northern England strongholds. The company notes it now operates within a 90-minute drive of more than 90% of the UK population.
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