Trump Doubles Down on Crypto Leadership, Defends CZ Pardon on 60 Minutes

Bitcoin Magazine

Trump Doubles Down on Crypto Leadership, Defends CZ Pardon on 60 Minutes

President Donald Trump made headlines Sunday in a wide-ranging interview on 60 Minutes, emphasizing that maintaining U.S. dominance in the crypto space is a top priority for him. 

“I only care about one thing: will we be number one in crypto,” Trump told Norah O’Donnell, highlighting what he described as the importance of the sector due to global competition.

President Trump framed crypto as a high-stakes, winner-takes-all industry, likening it to artificial intelligence in terms of national importance. 

“In crypto, it’s a kind of industry where basically you’re going to have number one and you’re not going to have a number two. And right now we’re number one by a long shot,” he said. 

President Trump also pointed to China’s booming crypto initiatives, noting, “China is getting into it very big,” and insisted that U.S. leadership is crucial to prevent other nations from dominating the market.

The President credited his sons with being more engaged in the industry than he is, while highlighting that their business pursuits demonstrate the sector’s growth and potential. 

Trump also suggested that his previous campaigns, which openly supported crypto, helped secure what he called the “crypto vote,” framing his advocacy as a continuation of his broader efforts to bolster American technological leadership.

Trump’s pardon of CZ 

The whole conversation around crypto also touched on Trump’s semi-controversial pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ. 

U.S. prosecutors accused Binance of allowing illicit transactions with sanctioned entities and failing to implement proper anti-money-laundering controls. CZ pleaded guilty, stepped down as CEO, and paid a personal fine of $50 million.

On October 23, President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Zhao following months of lobbying by Zhao and allies, who argued his prosecution was politically motivated, and comes amid his efforts to explore partnerships with Trump family crypto ventures. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the move as ending the “Biden Administration’s war on crypto.” The decision cleared Zhao’s record and could reshape U.S. policy toward cryptocurrency.

Trump defended the pardon in his 60 Minutes interview, framing it as a corrective action against what he described as political bias from the Biden administration. 

“I know nothing about the guy, other than I hear he was a victim of weaponization by government… It’s a corrupt government,” Trump said, emphasizing that his decision was guided by his belief in protecting U.S. crypto leadership rather than personal connections or political gain.

This post Trump Doubles Down on Crypto Leadership, Defends CZ Pardon on 60 Minutes first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.