CZ Confirms No Binance Comeback as U.S. Oversight Shapes His Next Move
Changpeng Zhao, the former headmanhoncho of Binance, has firmly put the lid on any thoughts of him returning as the boss of the crypto...
Quick overview
- Changpeng Zhao has ruled out any return to his former role as CEO of Binance, according to his lawyer.
- Despite Binance's exit from the US market, it remains under scrutiny from regulatory bodies and internal compliance teams.
- Zhao is now concentrating on his investment ventures through YZi Labs and has distanced himself from operational roles at Binance.
- Clarifications regarding Zhao's presidential pardon indicate it was a routine review related to compliance issues, not any wrongdoing.
Changpeng Zhao, the former headmanhoncho of Binance, has firmly put the lid on any thoughts of him returning as the boss of the crypto exchange. This, according to his lawyer, Teresa Goody Guillén, who spoke out today. Even though Binance has pulled out of the US market, it’s still under scrutiny by a whole bunch of regulatory bodies in America.
Guillén also made it clear that Binance is still being looked at by both its own internal compliance teams and external regulators, even though it has left the US market: “Even with Binance pulling out, the oversight continues” she said when addressing all the speculation that Zhao might be getting ready to walk back into the top job, nearly two years after he stepped down from the CEO role in late 2021.Zhao, on the other hand, has shifted his focus totally to his own side ventures. These are YZi Labs, that’s his family office, and several other investment projects. He has gone public about how he’s becoming increasingly involved in venture capital, but not on the operational side of things at Binance.
Presidential Pardon – Some Clarification
Guillén also offered some insight into Zhao’s presidential pardon, describing it as a routine administrative review involving several federal offices, including the Department of Justice and the White House Counsel’s Office.
🚨 CZ is NOT coming back to Binance, and the reason is bigger than you think
His lawyer confirms, Binance is still under heavy U.S. scrutiny, and that alone keeps the door firmly closed
Regulators are watching every move the exchange makes
The "CZ comeback"? Not happening pic.twitter.com/GJrt7lHaWi
— Block of Fame (@BOFmag_) November 20, 2025
Some key points to take in about the pardon are:
- The whole thing centred on compliance issues, not any actual wrongdoing or money laundering.
- Regulators were trying to make a big example of it with Binance being centre stage – using them to make a point.
- The pardon itself just highlighted a mismatch between what regulators were enforcing and the actual rules that had been broken.
Zhao’s legal team is keen to stress that the pardon was granted solely because of the procedures involved, not because of any wrongdoing, which is good news for Zhao, as he is now free to get back to his investment pursuits without having to be personally involved in the exchange.
Putting the Record Straight on Pardon Rumours
Following up a bit on the pardon, there were all sorts of wild claims that Zhao was linked to certain political figures and ventures, like WLFI. There were even claims that Binance listing the WLFI token on its platform was a sign that Zhao was in bed with the Trump family.
- Guillén said all these claims were rubbish – she said “We operate multiple times on the USD1 blockchain”
- Zhao himself even came out and said he did indeed meet Eric Trump once, but it was just a random encounter, and it had nothing to do with Binance or any of his legal issues.
This has been an excellent example of Zhao’s move away from Binance; he is now focusing on his venture investments and building his portfolio through YZi Labs, while the rest of Binance just gets on with navigating all the regulatory oversight.
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