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Trump denies knowing Binance CEO he pardoned amid business ties.
In a move that reeks of the swampy political calculus he once vowed to drain, Donald Trump has denied any familiarity with Changpeng Zhao, the former Binance CEO he pardoned, despite a tangled web of business ties that suggests a far cozier relationship. This isn't just political theater; it's a masterclass in the new era of power brokering, where the lines between regulatory leniency, personal financial interest, and political patronage are deliberately blurred into obscurity.For those of us in the crypto trenches, this is the ultimate confirmation of what we've long suspected: the establishment's war on Bitcoin and its champions is selective, punitive, and deeply corrupt. Zhao, known universally as 'CZ', wasn't just any crypto executive; he was the architect of the largest cryptocurrency exchange on the planet, a man who built an empire that challenged the very foundations of traditional finance before being brought to his knees by U.S. regulators on charges of enabling massive money laundering.His pardon, emerging from the opaque machinery of Trump's clemency power, wasn't an act of mercy for a misunderstood visionary. It was a transaction.Look at the timing. The Trump family business, with its well-documented forays into crypto and its desperate search for liquid capital, stands to benefit enormously from having a figure of CZ's immense wealth and influence in its debt.This is the classic political 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine,' but played out with digital assets worth billions. It’s a stark contrast to the treatment of other crypto figures, like the relentless pursuit of Alexey Pertsev, which reveals a system not of justice, but of convenient alliances.The denial of knowing CZ is as believable as a central bank promising sound money. It’s a flimsy shield against the obvious truth—this is how the game is played at the highest levels.The real story here isn't a single pardon; it's the blueprint for how political clout is now being monetized in the digital age, creating a two-tiered system where connected insiders get a get-out-of-jail-free card while genuine innovators are crushed under the regulatory boot. This entire saga underscores the critical importance of Bitcoin's decentralized, permissionless nature.No single leader can pardon the Bitcoin network. No political favor can alter its code. As these sordid deals unfold in the corridors of power, it only strengthens the case for a system built on mathematics, not on the flawed and easily corrupted whims of men.
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#Trump
#pardon
#Binance
#Changpeng Zhao
#crypto
#conflict of interest
#corruption