CZ Zhao, Binance Founder, Asked Trump To Pardon Money Laundering Conviction

Changpeng Zhao, the Binance founder and convicted felon says that he applied for a pardon from US President Donald Trump shortly after denying reports that he was seeking one. On a Farokh Radio podcast episode aired May 6 Zhao, also known as CZ, said that he "wouldn't mind" a pardon and that his lawyers have already filed the paperwork on his behalf.

"I got lawyers applying," Zhao said, adding that he submitted the request after Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported in March that he was seeking a pardon from Trump amid discussions of a business deal between the Trump family and Binance.US.

Zhao also rejected the reports at the time, but said on the podcast that he thought "if they're writing this article, I may as well just officially apply."

According to Cointelegraph, he added that Trump's pardon of three BitMEX founders, including Arthur Hayes, also motivated him to submit an application.

Zhao said the application was submitted about two weeks ago.

Zhao said at the time of the Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal reports that "no felon would mind a pardon," and claimed he is the only person in US history to serve prison time for a Bank Secrecy Act charge.

Arizona Governor Signs Bill Into Law For State To Keep Unclaimed Crypto

A bill has been signed into law by Katie Hobbs, the Arizona Governor. This bill allows the US state to keep the unclaimed crypto and establish a "Bitcoin Reserve Fund" that won't use any taxpayer money or state funds.

The bill allows Arizona to claim for the ownership of left digital assets if the owner fails to respond to communications within three years. This house bill 2749 was signed into law by Hobbs on May 7.

According to Cointelegraph, the state's custodians can stake the crypto to earn rewards or receive airdrops, which can in turn be deposited into what a Bitcoin and Digital Asset Reserve Fund (as called by Arizona).

Jeff Weninge, bill's sponsor, said in a May 7 statement, that, "This law ensures Arizona doesn't leave value sitting on the table and puts us in a position to lead the country in how we secure, manage, and ultimately benefit from abandoned digital currency.

"We've built a structure that protects property rights, respects ownership, and gives the state tools to account for a new category of value in the economy," Weninger added.

Robinhood plans blockchain for US asset trading in Europe: Report

Robinhood, a Brokerage fintech is reportedly developing a blockchain network that will enable retail investors in Europe to trade US securities.

According to a Bloomberg report on May 7, that cited sources familiar with the matter, the move seeks to expand the company's local presence by offering trading of tokenized securities, such as stocks.

Arbitrum and the Solana Foundation, are the two crypto firms that are reportedly vying to become partners in the project. Tokenization is the process of turning real-world assets, like stocks, real estate, or commodities, into digital tokens that can be traded on a blockchain.

Robinhood has been preparing to enter the European market. In April 2025, it got a brokerage license in Lithuania which allows the firm to offer investment services throughout the European Union. Robinhood has also inked a deal in 2024 to purchase crypto exchange Bitstamp.

"You can sit down in front of some software, create a coin and have it be trading in 5 minutes, That's a scary thing," Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev said in a recent interview.

"It's also an incredibly powerful thing if you juxtapose it with how cumbersome the IPO process is."