Overview
- Scott Pelley reported that sources say Changpeng Zhao’s company donated software to World Liberty Financial to help launch its cryptocurrency.
- Pelley said Zhao applied for clemency the next month, with President Trump granting a pardon in October 2025.
- The segment cited a $2 billion investment into Binance by a United Arab Emirates fund that used World Liberty crypto, which the Emiratis defended as based on business suitability.
- Former Justice Department Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer called the influence of money and the self‑dealing aspect of the pardon unprecedented.
- Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig said the arrangement leaves the president compromised, and the report noted Reuters’ finding that Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. sold more than $800 million in crypto assets in early 2025.