TLDR
- CZ promoted Binance.US growth during an event hosted by Trump’s crypto venture.
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Binance says sanctions exposure dropped 96.8% between 2024 and 2025.
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Over 1,500 Binance staff now work in compliance and investigations.
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Media reports questioned ties among CZ, World Liberty and USD1 stablecoin.
Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao appeared at a private crypto forum hosted at Mar-a-Lago, marking one of his highest-profile U.S. appearances since receiving a presidential pardon. The event was organized by World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture linked to members of the Trump family. Zhao spoke about opportunities for Binance.US and the broader direction of digital assets in the country.
He said the exchange is looking to re-engage with U.S. consumers after several years of legal pressure.
“We want to do much more business in the U.S.,” Zhao stated during the event. “The goal is to offer a stronger platform while improving accessibility for retail users.”
Zhao Discusses Binance.US Strategy After Legal Challenges
Zhao stepped down as global chief executive in 2023 after pleading guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program. He retained his ownership stake and remains majority shareholder of Binance.US. He emphasized that his comments at the event concerned Binance.US rather than the global exchange, and said his current focus is technical work rather than executive control.
The U.S. platform faced banking disruptions and reduced market share after a lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission. That case was dropped last year under new leadership at the agency. Zhao said the current regulatory climate appears more open to industry participation. He suggested that deeper banking relationships or even seeking a charter could now be possible.
He added that the company’s growth would rely on the right leadership team. Zhao said he attends many industry events and dismissed concerns about the optics of appearing at a private gathering with political figures.
Discussion Over USD1 Stablecoin and Investment Links
Binance has promoted World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin. The token was later used to settle a US$2 billion investment in Binance from Abu Dhabi-based MGX. Binance co-chief executive Richard Teng said that the exchange did not choose the payment token.
Zhao clarified that technical teams within the BNB Chain ecosystem provided support for USD1 and said this was common for projects building on the network.
Questions have been raised in political circles about the connections among the stablecoin, the Trump family venture, and Zhao’s pardon. Zhao responded by saying he does not see an issue with attending a conference organized by a private group.
Binance Publishes Compliance Progress Report
At the same time, Binance released a detailed update on its compliance systems. The company reported a 96.8% reduction in sanctions-related exposure between January 2024 and July 2025. Exposure dropped from 0.284% of total trading volume to 0.009%.
Binance also reported a more than 97% reduction in direct activity from sanctioned markets. These results, the company said, reflect expanded monitoring and updated governance structures. Binance now employs more than 1,500 people in compliance, sanctions screening, and investigations, representing a quarter of its global workforce.
The exchange said it processed more than 71,000 law enforcement requests during 2025 and assisted in the recovery of more than $131 million linked to illicit activity. Binance said the press had misrepresented certain cases and that the exchange followed the proper procedures throughout.
Binance remains under review in several jurisdictions. Recent regulatory actions in Australia and ongoing requirements in India have kept compliance at the center of its operations. The company said that its updated framework provides stronger tools for risk assessment and escalation.
