Binance logo on smartphone in hand with blurred American flag background. Source: salarko - stock.adobe.com

Key Takeaways:

Binance CEO Richard Teng denied reports that Binance.US was in deal talks with Trump-linked businesses, echoing refutations from CZ and Trump.
The Wall Street Journal alleged Binance.US explored an equity sale with Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial, a claim dismissed by all parties.
Despite denying business ties, Teng acknowledged Binance benefits from Trump’s pro-crypto stance, which has influenced global regulatory discussions.

Binance CEO Richard Teng has denied reports claiming that Binance.US was in talks with business entities linked to former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking at the 2025 Digital Asset Summit, Teng dismissed the allegations, echoing previous denials from Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and Trump himself.

The controversy arose from a March 13 Wall Street Journal report suggesting that Binance.US was exploring an equity sale to Trump-affiliated businesses, including World Liberty Financial, a DeFi project linked to the Trump family.

Teng emphasized the distinct legal and operational structures of Binance.US and its global counterpart, asserting that no such negotiations had taken place.

Despite refuting the claims, Teng acknowledged that Binance has benefited from Trump’s pro-crypto stance, as his policies encourage institutional adoption and push governments to take digital assets seriously.

4. Sorry to disappoint. The WSJ article got the facts wrong.

More than 20 people have told me they were asked by the WSJ (and another media), "Can you confirm that CZ made some deal for a pardon?"

They probably asked hundreds of people to have 20 people reach out to me. In… https://t.co/ELyDPmKD3G
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) March 13, 2025

Trump has previously expressed ambitions to position the U.S. as a leader in cryptocurrency.

The Wall Street Journal also alleged that CZ sought a presidential pardon from Trump after serving a four-month prison sentence, but both CZ and Trump denied this.

Meanwhile, Trump’s increasing involvement in crypto, including a January 18 memecoin launch, has raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest as a former president entering the digital asset space.