Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao has announced that Binance.US is actively evaluating expansion plans in the United States. This strategic shift follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) withdrawal of a major lawsuit filed against the exchange's U.S. arm in 2023. CZ emphasized that potential steps include establishing deeper banking partnerships and applying for new licenses, contingent on both the evolving legal framework and internal team assessments.
CZ made these remarks during a high-profile appearance at a private crypto forum hosted at Mar-a-Lago, organized by World Liberty Financial, a venture linked to members of the Trump family. This marked one of his most significant U.S. public appearances since receiving a presidential pardon. "We want to do much more business in the U.S.," Zhao stated, outlining a goal to offer a stronger platform and improve accessibility for retail users. He specifically clarified that his comments pertained solely to Binance.US and not the global Binance platform.
The now-dropped 2023 SEC lawsuit had placed significant pressure on Binance's U.S. operations, severely impacting its banking relationships and market share. Analysts suggest the lawsuit's withdrawal signals a potentially more relaxed regulatory environment, which could allow Binance.US to restore its competitiveness. However, regulatory uncertainties are noted to persist.
Concurrently, Binance released a detailed compliance progress report, showcasing a 96.8% reduction in sanctions-related exposure between January 2024 and July 2025, dropping from 0.284% to 0.009% of total trading volume. The exchange now employs over 1,500 staff in compliance, sanctions screening, and investigations, representing a quarter of its global workforce. In 2025, it processed over 71,000 law enforcement requests and assisted in recovering more than $131 million linked to illicit activity.
The event also touched upon the USD1 stablecoin, promoted by Binance and later used to settle a $2 billion investment in Binance from Abu Dhabi-based MGX. CZ clarified that technical teams within the BNB Chain ecosystem provided standard support for the stablecoin, a common practice for projects building on the network, and that the exchange did not choose the payment token.
