Changpeng Zhao Comeback? PolyMarket Set 62% Odds of Binance Return by December Following Trump Pardon

In fresh developments, there has been growing speculation that Changpeng Zhao (CZ) could return to Binance as CEO. This follows his presidential pardon by Donald Trump. Betting activity on the prediction platform PolyMarket has also surged as a result.

PolyMarket Bets Show Rising Confidence in CZ’s Return

According to PolyMarket data, the odds of CZ’s return to Binance by December 31 have gone as high as 62% in the past 7 hours, with most participants betting “Yes.” The prediction market has already recorded over $47,000 in trading volume. This suggests a strong interest in Changpeng Zhao’s post-pardon prospects.

The odds jumped sharply after the White House officially confirmed on October 23 that President Donald Trump had granted a full pardon to the Binance founder. Just hours before the announcement, the probability of Zhao returning to the company was almost nonexistent. But once the pardon became public, sentiment flipped almost instantly.

PolyMarket data shows the market for Zhao’s return has been active since September 19, 2025, roughly a year after the former executive completed his four-month prison sentence for money laundering violations. 

President Trump’s pardon is part of the administration’s effort to “end the war on crypto,” initiated under the previous government. The move is seen as one of Trump’s boldest crypto-related actions since returning to office.

Zhao, who stepped down as Binance CEO in 2023 as part of a plea deal with U.S. authorities, was replaced by Richard Teng, the company’s former Head of Regional Markets. After his release in September 2024, Zhao denied rumors of a “lifetime ban” from holding executive positions in crypto.

Meanwhile, Binance US resumed operations after Trump’s inauguration. This was their first major fiat reinstatement since 2023. 

Industry Reactions Split Over Changpeng Zhao’s Pardon

Zhao’s pardon led to mixed reactions across the crypto space. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson publicly congratulated Zhao. He called the pardon “a correction of a grave injustice” and criticized what he described as the previous administration’s weaponization of the justice system against crypto innovators.

Congratulations to my friend @cz_binance. Trump has corrected a grave injustice. The weaponization of the justice department against our industry and its entrepreneurs should have never happened. It was and still is a deep wound that will take a long time to heal https://t.co/OirXN3fSZC

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) October 23, 2025

In contrast, Senator Elizabeth Warren condemned Trump’s decision as “corruption,” renewing her calls for tighter oversight of digital asset exchanges. Changpeng Zhao responded, urging the Senator to “get her facts straight” before making baseless accusations.

Following the pardon, the crypto market has rallied sharply. Notable increases have been observed in tokens linked to Binance or Zhao-related projects. Zhao had previously supported ASTER, a project that outperformed the market by nearly 14%.