Trump pardons convicted Binance founder • Hacker News Board

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#81

Post by lovich » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 7:59 PM UTC

everfrustrated wrote: post #47

thijson wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like whatever party gets into power, suddenly doesn't want to change the system they inherited. I remember Trudeau talking about eliminating first past the post in Canadian elections. But once he got into power he forgot about it. We need a way to vote for popular ideas via referendum at the federal level. That might get it through.

In history generally the only way governments are ever restructured is through civil war (or invasion).

Every amendment to the constitution restructured the government. We are certainly in an era of high divisiveness and a Congress that had abdicated all of its powers to the other branches so that they’re never caught actually holding a position, but the US government system has restructuring built into it

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#82

Post by jamesblonde » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:00 PM UTC

sunshine-o wrote: post #15

taylodl wrote: post #4

I'm impressed. Leavitt managed to Blame the Biden administration, effectively asserting that Zhao's crimes were a result of the Biden administration's "war on crypto." Never mind that Zhao was engaged in criminal activity for which he was prosecuted, tried, and found guilty.

Changpeng Zhao pled guilty for violating the Bank Secrecy Act and not complying with anti-money laundering requirements. That also happened to a lot of big banks over and over again. Three days ago one of the biggest was found guilty for helping Sudan’s government commit genocide by providing banking services that violated American sanctions [0]. Sounds worst. Binance is a casino for millennial and gen Z and like cas…

Whataboutism. Has to be called out.

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#83

Post by selectodude » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:01 PM UTC

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #56

thijson wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like whatever party gets into power, suddenly doesn't want to change the system they inherited. I remember Trudeau talking about eliminating first past the post in Canadian elections. But once he got into power he forgot about it. We need a way to vote for popular ideas via referendum at the federal level. That might get it through.

Uhm, the Republicans will change their mind quickly when the next Democrat president takes control with the expanded powers they inherited from the Trump administration (even the Supreme court doesn't like to contradict itself so quickly). I'm pretty sure...if America survives at all, we will have a constitutional convention really soon that push through changes because the current status quo has become an unstable m…

I trust the gang of six’s use of the shadow docket is cleverly designed to make sure only a republican president meets their unitary executive theories.

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#84

Post by pacman1337 » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:02 PM UTC

perihelions wrote: post #28

Key line: > "Since Trump’s election, Binance has also been a key supporter of his family’s World Liberty Financial crypto venture, a business that has driven a huge leap in the president’s personal wealth." "Huge leap" meaning $5 billion, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-wlfi-world-liberty-financ... ( "New crypto token boosts Trump family's wealth by $5 billion" )

But Binance founder doesn't work for Binance anymore so why pardoning founder help Binance?

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#85

Post by jamesblonde » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:03 PM UTC

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #56

thijson wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like whatever party gets into power, suddenly doesn't want to change the system they inherited. I remember Trudeau talking about eliminating first past the post in Canadian elections. But once he got into power he forgot about it. We need a way to vote for popular ideas via referendum at the federal level. That might get it through.

Uhm, the Republicans will change their mind quickly when the next Democrat president takes control with the expanded powers they inherited from the Trump administration (even the Supreme court doesn't like to contradict itself so quickly). I'm pretty sure...if America survives at all, we will have a constitutional convention really soon that push through changes because the current status quo has become an unstable m…

Do you think they will let the Democrats take control given the risk to them if they take control? I see Gerrymandering after the supreme court annuls the voting rights acts. And then more shennanigans for a third term.

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#86

Post by XorNot » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:06 PM UTC

nickff wrote: post #23

mullingitover wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and not any other criminal activity He made a lot of money from the other criminal activity. That's what money laundering is: just because you're not directly trafficking children, for example, doesn't mean you have clean hands when you make significant profits from the people who are.

What you're describing is (in my view) the best casus belli for both the 'war on drugs' and a 'war on crypto', but a moral case does not make a criminal case (on its own).

The war on drugs creates almost all the negative externalities of drugs to try and stop people making their own choices.

It is both a reason not to buy drugs now (you're sponsoring all that other stuff) and a reason it's a ridiculous and immoral policy.

It is also on no way comparable to crypto.

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#87

Post by EgregiousCube » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:06 PM UTC

cedws wrote: post #19

Is there any way to read this other than Trump is cuddling up to crypto because it’s a tool for him and his cronies to make dodgy money?

Yes - he campaigned on making America more crypto-friendly in general; this could also be read as part of making good on that promise.

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#88

Post by delfinom » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:07 PM UTC

andrewinardeer wrote: post #72

spprashant wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No issues. Trump can forgive almost anything for the right price.

But does SBF have any money?

His parents do. He was already a trustfund baby when he started.

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#89

Post by Animats » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:07 PM UTC

I wonder if civil forfeiture will work against Trump once he's out of office. Trump's net worth before becoming President was under US$1 billion. Now it's over 6 billion. A civil claim for the difference based on the Emoluments Acts.

"The Foreign Emoluments Clause bars the president and other federal officials from accepting “any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State” without the consent of Congress. It reflects the framers’ desire to prevent federal officials from succumbing to foreign influence.

The Domestic Emoluments Clause provides for the president to receive a fixed salary and bars him from receiving “any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.” It was designed to insulate the president against undo pressure from Congress or any individual state."

[1] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/emol...

Re: Trump pardons convicted Binance founder

#90

Post by almosthere » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 8:08 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #89

I wonder if civil forfeiture will work against Trump once he's out of office. Trump's net worth before becoming President was under US$1 billion. Now it's over 6 billion. A civil claim for the difference based on the Emoluments Acts. "The Foreign Emoluments Clause bars the president and other federal officials from accepting “any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or fo…

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