Oct 24, 2025 - Business

Ardent Trump supporter Lonsdale blasts crypto pardon

Dan Primack

A man in a black shirt and glasses, holding a microphone, seated in front of a larger picture of himself. — Binance founder Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Malaysia event. Photo: Samsul Said/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Joe Lonsdale, one of President Trump's loudest and richest supporters, spoke out against yesterday's pardon of crypto billionaire Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, who had been convicted of violating anti-money laundering laws and sentenced to four months in prison.

Why it matters: The call is coming from inside the MAGA house, which is unusual on its own, and reflects quieter complaints about the Trump family's crypto empire.

What they're saying: Lonsdale, a Texas-based venture capitalist and Palantir cofounder, tweeted: "I love President Trump; this is possibly the greatest admin of my lifetime - except for these pardons. If I'm calling balls and strikes, these are hit-by-pitches!! POTUS has been terribly advised on this; it makes it look like massive fraud is happening around him in this area."

In response to a commenter, Lonsdale added that "the goal of this post is to influence future policy in a positive direction," and that he also was concerned about an earlier pardon for disgraced Nikola CEO Trevor Milton.

The intrigue: Trump's family has business ties to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, which Zhao founded and led before his conviction.

Earlier this year, Trump's Securities & Exchange Commission dropped charges against the company.

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Ardent Trump supporter Lonsdale blasts crypto pardon

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