Changpeng Zhao, founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has been pardoned by President Donald Trump after serving nearly four months in prison for anti-money laundering violations. The decision has drawn criticism over potential conflicts of interest, with critics pointing to a $2 billion investment in a Trump-linked stablecoin by a fund connected to Binance. White House officials defended the pardon as correcting what they characterized as excessive regulatory enforcement by the previous administration.