Binance founder CZ speaks out for the first time after being sentenced to prison.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance, was sentenced to four months in prison during his trial for crimes including money laundering.

US government officials want CZ to be sentenced to 3 years in prison.

A few minutes ago after this incident, the former Binance CEO shared a message on his official X/Twitter account and stressed that user funds were still safe. Here are the words of CZ's last message:

“I want to thank everyone for their interest and support, whether by writing a letter, showing support for X or in any other way.

They all mean a lot to me and keep me strong. I'm going to take my time, finish this phase and focus on the next part of my life (education).

I will remain a passive investor (and owner) in cryptocurrencies. Our industry has entered a new phase. Compliance is very important.

The positive side of this whole process is that Binance is getting noticed. Money is SAFU, protect users.

According to CZ's statement, Binance and the cryptocurrency industry appear to have put these recent bad developments behind them.