Binance Founder CZ Hits Back at 'Smear' Allegations He Gave Evidence Against Justin Sun in Plea Deal
Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, and Justin Sun denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Zhao agreed to testify against Sun as part of a plea deal with U.S. authorities. Zhao, who served four months in prison for money laundering, criticized the report as a "baseless hit piece" and suggested it was motivated by external influences. Sun, facing separate SEC charges, referred to Zhao as a mentor and denied the allegations. Reports indicated Binance executives met with U.S. Treasury officials regarding compliance monitoring, while discussions about listing a stablecoin backed by Trump's family were ongoing. Binance argued that current monitoring requirements are burdensome and sought to clarify that any compliance changes are minor. The DOJ recently paused corporate monitorships and disbanded its crypto unit, with no official comments from the DOJ or White House on the alleged cooperation or pardon discussions.
