CZ Returns to US for Trump-Backed Crypto Event

The event hosted at Mar-a-Lago blended politics and digital assets, signaling deeper ties between industry and power brokers.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) returned to the United States this week for the first time since his release from a California federal prison in 2024.

The visit took place at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where Zhao attended a 500-person convention hosted by the Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial.

CZ Makes Appearance at Crypto Event

A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report revealed that the gathering brought together prominent figures from finance, technology, and entertainment.

Guests included Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, New York Stock Exchange president Lynn Martin, “Shark Tank” personality Kevin O’Leary, and Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong, who had also attended a smaller VIP dinner on Tuesday evening alongside Trump’s sons and CZ. Rapper Nicki Minaj, who has publicly supported the Trump administration, also held a “fireside chat” on that day.

Posting on X during the occasion, Zhao shared a photo of himself listening to a top federal crypto regulator, writing, “Learned a lot.”

CZ, whose crypto exchange has been barred from operating in the U.S. since 2023 for violating anti-money-laundering rules, pleaded guilty to a related charge that same year. He was then sentenced in April 2024 to four months in prison and officially released in late September after serving his term.

Later in October 2025, the crypto entrepreneur received a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump. During a recent interview on the “All-In” podcast, Zhao said he “didn’t do anything” to secure the clemency but noted that it could help the exchange resume its efforts to return to the American market.

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World Liberty Unveils Ambitious Crypto Vision

World Liberty’s leadership used the occasion to lay out its vision for the cryptocurrency industry. CEO Zach Witkoff described the company’s goal as creating a “new digital Bretton Woods system,” referencing the 1944 conference that established a post-war economic order.

His co-founders, the Trump sons, talked about the scale of the event, with Donald Trump Jr. joking about how much it would have been unimaginable a year ago. Meanwhile, Eric Trump compared it to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying it offered “better hospitality, better food, better weather, better group of people, less wokeness.”

The firm also promoted its stablecoin, USD1, and outlined plans to sell digital tokens that would give accredited investors a share of loan revenues from a Trump resort under development in the Maldives.

The president’s sons also addressed questions about foreign investment in World Liberty, including a $500 million deal with a senior Abu Dhabi royal, stressing that such moves are standard in global finance and unrelated to government agreements.

Several other Trump administration officials were also in attendance, including Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg.