Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao has been released from prison, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced.

His release came two days ahead of his scheduled September 29 release date. The BOP has the authority to release inmates early if their release date falls on a weekend or holiday.

In April, Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison for violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) over Binance's lax KYC program.

Zhao also agreed to pay a $50 million fine and step down as the exchange's CEO. Binance will pay $4.3 million in fines to various U.S. regulators to settle related charges.

Zhao's sentence was comparatively lenient compared to the three years federal prosecutors were seeking, thanks to his clean criminal record and positive reputation.

Zhao served his sentence at a low-security prison in California and was transferred to a halfway house in August.