Why Trump Keeps Pardoning Crypto Criminals episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 2, 2025 · 27 MIN

Why Trump Keeps Pardoning Crypto Criminals

from What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future

President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of Binance who had been convicted for violating anti-money laundering laws, after months of Zhao boosting Trump’s own crypto company. The crypto industry has really nailed the path to Trump’s heart: it was something Joe Biden didn’t like, and it feeds directly to the president’s bottom line. Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer at Slate.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

Why Trump Keeps Pardoning Crypto Criminals

0:00 27:23

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future?

This episode is 27 minutes long.

When was this What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future episode published?

This episode was published on November 2, 2025.

What is this episode about?

President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of Binance who had been convicted for violating anti-money laundering laws, after months of Zhao boosting Trump’s own crypto company. The crypto industry has really nailed the path to Trump’s...

Can I download this What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!