On April 30, Judge Richard Jones sentenced Zhao to four months in prison, going against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s recommendation for a three-year jail sentence.
London-based financial services lawyer Rabya Anwar told crypto.news that the stories of Zhao and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried “have become interlinked” since the U.S. government took action against both in a short span of time. She explained that:
“Zhao may have mentored Bankman-Fried in the past before their relationship ruptured but the way in which these two industry leaders have conducted their respective businesses has been worlds apart. Bankman-Fried was charged with fraud, including the misappropriation of customers’ funds, which some would describe as theft. Whereas, Zhao’s case centers more around the effectiveness of anti-money laundering controls.”
Award-winning financial services lawyer, Rabya Anwar, Esq., told crypto.news.
A number of factors have influenced the difference in the sentencing of these two men. Anwar points to the “difference in the nature of their conduct and, furthermore, the damaging and lasting impact of the FTX scandal on innocent members of the public.”
You might also like: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF attracts no inflows for 4th consecutive day
In addition, many the crypto community on X have sharing the number “4” since Zhao’s sentencing was announced, a signal and viral meme Zhao developed to raise awareness of four core principals behind Binance back in 2023.
Will try to keep 2023 simple. Spend more time on less things. Do's and Don'ts.1. Education2. Compliance3. Product & Service4. Ignore FUD, fake news, attacks, etc.In the future, would appreciate if you can link to this post when I tweet "4". 🙏
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) January 2, 2023
Autism Capital says that Zhao “literally memed his prison sentence into existence.”
CZ really is the best to ever do it. Unlike Sam, he didn’t lose anyone’s money. He is still a hero to all. He literally memed his prison sentence into existence. He does 4 months in the easiest camp prison playing pickleball and meditating. Walks away with $47 billion dollars 👏🏼
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) April 30, 2024
Soon after the sentencing, Zhao posted that he would complete the prison time and “focus on the next chapter” of his life, pointing at “education.”
Cryptocurrency influencer Crypto Patel also showed support for Zhao, saying “he’s not a criminal.” He added that Zhao is “an innovator” and “believes in a future empowered by crypto.”
Standing with Changpeng Zhao ( @cz_binance )Yesterday was a challenging day as #CZ a true visionary and founder of Binance, faces sentencing.CZ is not just a leader; he's a passionate advocate for the transformative potential of cryptocurrency.He believes in a future… pic.twitter.com/kxKdhwseJH
— Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) May 1, 2024
Another X user called RobinTheFarmer pointed out Zhao’s support for Terra (LUNA) and Luna Classic (LUNC) and its community.
OMG.. I’m so so happy for CZ.. I know four months is a long time away from his family, but this really is so much better than it could have been.. and the irony of it being “4”.. even the Judge was indirectly supporting CZ in his sentencing.. we all know he fell on his sword for… pic.twitter.com/OmCEkwAwDS
— RobinTheFarmer.BNB (@RobinTheFarmer) April 30, 2024
Read more: ‘Bitcoin Jesus’ Roger Ver arrested on $50m tax fraud
