Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has been released from prison, according to an announcement from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Zhao’s release came two days ahead of his scheduled release date on Sunday, September 29. By law, the BOP can release inmates early if the 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) by failing to establish an adequate know-your-customer (KYC) program at Binance. As part of the plea agreement, Zhao agreed to pay a $50 million fine and step down as CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange. Binance also agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine to U.S. regulators to resolve related charges.

While prison sentences for BSA violations are rare (former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes, who pleaded guilty to similar charges in 2022, was only sentenced to probation), Zhao’s four-month prison sentence is considered lenient compared to the three years that federal prosecutors sought.

Western District of Washington Judge Richard Jones, who presided over the case, appeared convinced by Zhao's clean criminal record and good reputation, bolstered by 161 letters of support from friends, family and colleagues.

Zhao, formerly known as inmate #88087-510, served three months at the low-security Lompoc II prison on California’s central coast. In August, he was transferred to a community reentry facility in San Pedro, California. With an estimated net worth of $30.8 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires’ Index, Zhao is believed to be the richest person ever incarcerated in the United States. Zhao’s actual wealth, including BTC and BNB, could be as high as $60 billion.

Update: At 9:55 a.m. on September 28, Vietnam time, Changpeng Zhao officially tweeted his first line after 4 years in prison "gm", meaning "Good morning" to the Twitter community.

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