Trump's Crypto Pardons: A Swamp Creature's Dream Come True
So, Trump pardoned the Binance guy, CZ, right? Claims he doesn't even know him. "I don't know who he is," Trump said on 60 Minutes. Give me a freakin' break. This whole thing stinks worse than week-old roadkill.
The Usual Suspects
Let's be real, this isn't about justice or some deep philosophical debate on crypto regulation. This is about lining pockets. Trump's pockets, his family's pockets, and probably a few other swamp creatures we don't even know about yet.
The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, called Zhao's prosecution a "war on cryptocurrency." Oh, please. It was Zhao pleading guilty to enabling money laundering! I mean, come on. Are we really supposed to believe that's just some innocent mistake?
And then there's the timing. Binance promotes Trump's family's crypto coin, USD1, right after the pardon. "Deposits for $USD1 are now open on @BinanceUS!" they tweeted. Coincidence? I think not. It's so blatant, it's almost comical. Almost.
Follow the Money (Duh)
Binance asked an Abu Dhabi fund to use Trump's USD1 coin when investing $2 billion in Binance. A $2 billion transaction steered through a Trump family startup with "no crypto experience," as the Wall Street Journal put it. You don't need to be a financial whiz to see what's going on here. It's a friggin' kickback scheme disguised as...well, I don't even know what they're trying to disguise it as.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren called it "essentially giving Trump a cut of the deal." She's not wrong. It's corruption, plain and simple. What else do you call it when a president pardons someone and then that person's company helps funnel money to the president's family? Bribery? Extortion? Whatever you call it, it ain't pretty.
And don't forget Justin Sun, the Hong Kong crypto dude who poured $75 million into World Liberty Financial. Trump's SEC conveniently stayed the fraud case against him. You scratch my back, I scratch yours, right?
Crypto Bros Gone Wild
Trump's not alone in this crypto grift, offcourse. His sons, Don Jr. and Eric, are globetrotting, drumming up crypto deals. "The Trump brothers’ efforts have been a whopping success," Reuters reported. Their income soared 17-fold! Are we supposed to believe that's just because they're brilliant businessmen? Give me a break.
And let's not forget Coinbase, who gave $1 million to Trump's inauguration and is reportedly funding his new ballroom. A million bucks buys a lot of...influence.
Here's the kicker: Trump used to hate Bitcoin. Said it was used to facilitate crime. Now he's a crypto enthusiast? What changed? Oh, right, he realized he could make a boatload of money off of it.
What a Time to Be Alive... (Not Really)
Honestly, it's exhausting. The constant corruption, the blatant disregard for ethics, the sheer audacity of it all. They expect us to believe this nonsense, and honestly...
I mean, are we really surprised? It's the Trump playbook. Drain the swamp? More like fill it with quicksand made of crypto and corruption. And the worst part? It's probably just the beginning. With Solana ETFs launching and the crypto market heating up again, this could get a whole lot worse before it gets better. Crypto’s second wave of ETFs arrives as investors snap up Solana product
So, What's the Real Story?
It's a grift, wrapped in a pardon, served with a side of "I don't know who he is."