Changpeng Zhao, the founder of crypto exchange Binance who was pardoned by President Trump in October, returned to the U.S. this week and attended a Trump-backed crypto conference alongside the president’s sons and senior administration officials, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Zhao’s appearance at the Mar-a-Lago event marked his first visit to the country since his release from a federal prison in 2024. Binance has been barred from operating in the U.S. since 2023 for violating anti-money-laundering rules and Zhao pleaded guilty that year to a related charge, the newspaper said. 

The company paid a record $4.3-billion fine in 2023 as a result of the compliance violations, which involved allegations that criminals were using the cryptocurrency exchange to launder money and dodge sanctions, according to the Journal.

The event brought together financiers, crypto executives, and political figures in a setting the Journalportrayed as part conference, part political showcase. Guests included Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon, New York Stock Exchange President Lynn Martin, and “Shark Tank” personality Kevin O’Leary. 

The gathering also included administration officials such as newly appointed Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, according to the report. 

The Trump family’s crypto business, World Liberty, used the conference to promote its stablecoin, USD1, and urged attendees to adopt it across real estate, banking, and decentralized finance, the Journal said. The company also announced plans to sell digital tokens that would give accredited investors a share of loan revenues from a Trump resort under development in the Maldives.

Zhao’s U.S. return comes as Binance seeks a path back into the American market following Trump’s re-election, the Journal reported. In a recent interview on the “All-In” podcast, Zhao said he “didn’t do anything” to obtain clemency and suggested the pardon could help Binance re-enter the U.S. market. 

Read more at The Wall Street Journal