Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao said Bitcoin looks undervalued at $60,000 after receiving a full presidential pardon from Donald Trump. In an appearance on the Power Players podcast, Zhao also discussed his life after prison, the growth of Gig Academy, and his view that artificial intelligence can expand activity across crypto markets.
From DOJ case to full presidential pardon
Zhao’s legal case followed a broad US Department of Justice investigation into Binance, centered on what authorities described as weak anti-money laundering controls. The source article cites Forbes as estimating Zhao’s fortune at $110 billion. He is one of the co-founders of Binance, one of the world’s largest crypto trading platforms.
In November 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty and stepped down from his executive role at Binance. He served a four-month sentence in federal prison and was released in September 2024. On October 23, 2025, Trump granted him a full pardon. The administration framed the case as part of the previous Biden government’s broader position on cryptocurrencies. Zhao said he has not yet had the chance to thank Trump in person, though he plans to do so.
Post-release focus shifts to founders, policy, and education
Speaking about prison, Zhao said the hardest part was not the physical setting but the mental pressure. Getting used to normal life again and returning to work took several weeks after his release. It was not immediate.
He also said major media outlets had described him as the wealthiest person ever to serve time in a US federal prison, and that his legal team warned him about the risk of extortion.
Zhao named three priorities for the next phase of his work: backing innovative technology entrepreneurs, advising governments on digital asset regulation, and expanding his free education initiative, Gig Academy. Over the past six months, registered users at Gig Academy rose from 100,000 to 500,000, according to his remarks.
CZ says Bitcoin is still cheap relative to past highs
On the market, Zhao said $60,000 Bitcoin does not look expensive when compared with earlier peaks and with his own long-term expectations. He pointed back to the last bear market, when Bitcoin fell to $16,000, and said the sector still needs more concrete applications and real-world use cases.
He also described the surge of capital into artificial intelligence as an opening for digital assets rather than a threat. In his view, some capital managers are using digital assets as a way to access AI-driven ventures, a dynamic that could lift transaction volumes and add depth to the market.
AI agents may begin using crypto rails within months
Zhao said that within a few months, AI agents could be capable of carrying out payments and transactions on crypto infrastructure on their own. He compared that relationship to the one between the internet and blockchain: the internet was not replaced by blockchain, and AI will not replace blockchain either. The connection between the two, he said, is likely to grow closer.
The source article also defines an AI agent as a software system that can perform designated tasks with limited human intervention. In crypto payments, that can include automated wallet use, sending payments, or executing trades under preset rules. Zhao acknowledged that both AI and blockchain still face regulatory and technical obstacles, while saying he remains focused on long-term development opportunities.