CZ Eyes Binance US Expansion Following Withdrawal Of SEC’s Lawsuit – Report

Binance.US, the American affiliate of the global crypto exchange, is reportedly exploring expanding within the US to develop and offer “superior products” to the American market, following the Trump administration’s easing of enforcement actions and push for a clear regulatory framework.

Binance.US Eyes Local Growth

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao shared Binance.US’s plan to expand its business in the US market to enhance accessibility to American customers.

In an interview at the Mar-a-Lago forum hosted by the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI), he affirmed that the platform wants to “bring a superior product into the US,” adding, “We want to make the superior product offering much more accessible to the US consumer.”

Zhao, also known as CZ, clarified that his remarks concerned only the US affiliate, not the global exchange, noting that he doesn’t run Binance. He also asserted that his role as the exchange’s leader is “a chapter that’s closed.”

Notably, CZ stepped down as Binance’s CEO after pleading guilty to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations in 2023 while leading the crypto exchange. Despite this, he remained the majority shareholder of Binance.US. In October 2025, CZ was pardoned by US President Donald Trump.

In 2023, the global exchange also pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to pay over $4 billion to resolve the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation.

Despite the potential expansion, Zhao acknowledged that the exchange faces obstacles following the now-dropped 2023 lawsuit by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which led to a significant loss in banking access and market share.

The former CEO believes that under the more accommodating regulatory climate, options that used to be out of reach, such as deeper banking ties or pursuing a crypto national bank charter, now seem “totally possible.” Nonetheless, he stressed such a move would “depend on the right team and legal guidance.”

A Binance.US spokeswoman told Bloomberg that the company “remains committed to being the best platform for users to buy, trade, and earn digital assets in the US. We continue to actively build and grow our platform through new products and offerings, enhancing our ability to deliver an experience that meets the evolving needs of crypto investors.”

US Crypto Regulatory Landscape

During a January interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Binance CEO Richard Teng called America a very important market, adding that the global exchange is taking a “wait-and-see” approach to reentering the US.

Teng also discussed the state of US crypto regulations, affirming that “any regulation will be better than no regulation.” He argued that having regulatory clarity will allow crypto companies to navigate the market effectively.

His comments followed concerns about the passage of the crypto market structure bill, which has been stalled at the Senate Banking Committee for over a month. The legislation’s January markup was delayed after part of the crypto industry withdrew its support for the bill over stablecoin rewards.

The draft proposed that issuers offer rewards for specific actions, such as account openings and cashback, but also prohibited issuers from providing interest payments to passive token holders.

According to reports from the latest White House Crypto Council meeting to discuss the dispute, the debate was narrowed to whether crypto firms can offer rewards linked to specific activities, as “earning yield on idle balances (…) is effectively off the table.”

The White House also proposed anti-evasion language to give the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Department of the Treasury authority to enforce a ban on paying yield on idle stablecoin balances.

Following the meeting, some attendees believe the legislation could meet the White House’s end-of-month deadline set last week and reach President Trump’s desk soon.