Most Influential: Changpeng “CZ” Zhao
Analysis
Price Impact
HighChangpeng 'cz' zhao's pardon by the u.s. president significantly reduces a major legal and reputational overhang, boosting confidence in the binance ecosystem. his continued influence, as demonstrated by the aster token rally after his public disclosure, confirms his ability to move markets. yzi labs' active investment role further signals continued growth and development within the bnb chain ecosystem.
Trustworthiness
HighThe information is sourced from coindesk, a reputable crypto news outlet, detailing concrete and verifiable events such as a presidential pardon and public statements/investments by cz.
Price Direction
BullishThe presidential pardon for cz removes a significant regulatory cloud over a key figure associated with binance and bnb chain. his continued active involvement through yzi labs' substantial capital and strategic investments, combined with his proven market-moving influence, is likely to drive positive sentiment and demand for bnb.
Time Effect
LongA presidential pardon is a lasting legal event that provides long-term clarity and reduces future uncertainties. yzi labs' venture capital activities and investments are inherently focused on long-term growth and development within the ecosystem.
Original Article:
Article Content:
Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Most Influential: Changpeng “CZ” Zhao Zhao’s exit from Binance did little to dim his prominence. By Oliver Knight | Edited by Cheyenne Ligon Dec 12, 2025, 3:00 p.m. After stepping down as CEO of Binance in 2023 and serving a brief prison sentence for violating the federal Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) in the U.S., Changpeng “CZ” Zhao remains one of the most closely watched figures in crypto. His formal exit from the exchange he built did little to dim his prominence. If anything, CZ’s influence only became stronger in 2025 after he was awarded a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . CZ wrote that he was “deeply grateful” for the pardon and “to President Trump for upholding America’s commitment to fairness, innovation and justice.” In a comical turn of events, Trump later claimed that he “didn’t know” who Zhao was before adding that he was a “victim of weaponization by government.” This subtle dig didn’t dampen Zhao’s prolific use of social media, where he continues to comment on industry trends and the future of global crypto adoption. He even did something slightly out of character, publicly revealing that he had a $1.8 million position in ASTER, the native token of a derivatives exchange hosted on BNB Chain. His word carried weight, with ASTER rallying from $0.90 to $1.08 shortly after the tweet. 2025 also saw CZ take on a “more active role” in investment activities within YZi Labs, the venture capital arm of Binance that was previously called Binance Labs. Earlier this year it was reported YZi Labs managed around $10 billion in capital, including investment in more than 250 companies. Binance CZ Donald Trump CoinDesk Most Influential 2025 More For You Protocol Research: GoPlus Security By CoinDesk Research Nov 14, 2025 Commissioned by GoPlus What to know : As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M. GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month. Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B. View Full Report More For You Most Influential: Tom Lee By Will Canny | Edited by Cheyenne Ligon 2 minutes ago A longtime fixture on Wall Street, Tom Lee’s pivot to crypto comes as the traditional finance industry is increasingly embracing digital assets. Read full story Latest Crypto News Most Influential: Tom Lee 2 minutes ago Most Influential: Jesse Pollak 2 minutes ago Most Influential: David Bailey 2 minutes ago Most Influential: Michael Saylor 2 minutes ago Backed, Chainlink Unveil xBridge to Move Tokenized Stocks Between Solana and Ethereum 2 minutes ago UAE’s Largest Fuel Retailer Will Accept Stablecoin in 980 Stations in Three Countries 18 minutes ago Top Stories U.S. SEC Gives Implicit Nod for Tokenized Stocks 2 hours ago YouTube Now Allows U.S. Content Creators to Get Paid in PayPal’s Stablecoin: Fortune 2 hours ago Crypto Markets Today: Bitcoin Stuck in Post-Fed Range as Altcoins Slump Deepens 3 hours ago XRP Lands on Solana, Ethereum and Others, in Boost for Ripple Ecosystem 10 hours ago Bitcoin's Volatility Meltdown: Crypto Daybook Americas 2 hours ago XRP Ledger Upgrade Lays Groundwork for Lending, Tokenization Expansion 3 hours ago