BNB Surges After Trump Pardons Binance Founder CZ, Trading Volume Spikes 35%

Binance Coin (BNB $1,112.33) climbed 3.3% over 24 hours, trading near $1,126, outperforming the broader crypto market following a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump for Changpeng Zhao, co-founder and former CEO of Binance.

Zhao, who pleaded guilty in November 2023 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act and stepped down from the exchange, served four months in prison amid industry criticism of the three-year sentence. The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, described the prior prosecution under President Biden as a “war on cryptocurrency.”

Market analysts suggest the pardon has broader implications beyond Zhao personally. David Namdar, CEO of CEA Industries, the largest publicly traded BNB treasury firm, said:

“CZ’s pardon is more than an inflection point for him personally—it could be a catalyst for BNB and Binance, opening greater access to the U.S. market. Fundamentals for BNB have never looked stronger: a vast global user base, real-world adoption, and consistent utility across DeFi and CeFi.”

The rally was supported by a surge in trading volume, nearly 35% above its seven-day average, according to CoinDesk Research. BNB’s price jumped from $1,085.96 to $1,130.25, encountering resistance between $1,140 and $1,143, with data indicating the buying pressure reflected long-term accumulation rather than short-term speculation.

Technically, BNB is consolidating. Short-term resistance at $1,128 has capped several intraday rallies, while support at $1,124 has held through multiple tests. Traders are now watching whether BNB can break higher toward $1,150, or if a failure at current levels could push it back toward $1,078.