In a recent turn of events, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao encountered a setback when a federal judge turned down his plea to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for personal reasons, despite his proposal to use $4.5 billion in Binance equity as assurance for his return to the United States. This development highlights the hurdles CZ confronts in navigating legal intricacies subsequent to his admission of guilt in connection with anti-money laundering lapses at the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange.
Offer and Rejection
Court records reveal that Zhao’s legal team submitted a letter to Judge Richard Jones on Dec. 22, outlining their client’s request to visit the UAE for a period of one to four weeks. The purpose of the trip was to support an undisclosed individual undergoing hospitalization, surgery, and recovery, with the person’s identity redacted in the filed documents. Despite CZ stepping down as Binance CEO following his guilty plea, he suggested…