Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy has accused Binance.US of having questionable ties to the recent pardon of former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao by US President Donald Trump.
Murphy’s comments came after Binance.US announced the listing of USD1 — the stablecoin linked to Trump’s family-backed crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. In a post on X, the senator claimed the exchange was “promoting Trump’s crypto” just days after “the president pardoned Binance’s owner.”
Trump’s decision to pardon CZ on October 23 has stirred heated debate in both Washington and the crypto world. Although Zhao had previously confirmed applying for clemency earlier this year, critics argue the pardon could be tied to political or financial motives — including reports of a $2 billion investment from an Abu Dhabi firm into Binance through the USD1 stablecoin.
In response, Binance.US defended its move, saying every listing goes through extensive due diligence and legal checks before approval.
“Whether it’s a stablecoin, an ecosystem project, or a meme token, each goes through the same review process,” the exchange stated on X. “USD1 and WLFI have been approved for months and are already traded on more than 20 major exchanges.”
The company stressed that the decision was purely commercial and not politically driven:
“It’s disappointing that standard business operations are being politicized by elected officials,” Binance.US added.
While Binance and Binance.US share the same branding, they operate as independent entities, with the US branch functioning under separate legal structures.
Meanwhile, scrutiny over CZ’s presidential pardon continues to escalate. Lawmakers in both chambers have called for investigations into possible misconduct. In a letter to the Justice Department, seven senators argued that the pardon “sends a dangerous message” that high-profile executives can evade justice.
Separately, Representative Ro Khanna announced plans to introduce a bill banning the president, their family members, and members of Congress from trading cryptocurrencies or stocks — citing Zhao’s pardon as an example of “blatant corruption” that “undermines public trust in the White House.”
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