Changpeng Zhao Denies WSJ's Report on 'Chinese Lobbyist and World Liberty Financial (WLFI) Connection'

On the 23rd (local time), according to cryptocurrency media outlet Cointelegraph, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao strongly refuted the Wall Street Journal (WSJ)'s report on the alleged hiring of lobbyists connected to high-ranking Chinese officials.

The media reported that Changpeng Zhao allegedly hired lobbyists connected to high-ranking Chinese officials through the decentralized finance (DeFi) project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) to mitigate the U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

In this process, Austin Cheng, a Chinese-American affiliated with WLFI, reportedly played a key intermediary role, and he has a history of involvement in Trump campaign events and donations.

The media analyzed that this lobbying activity could be part of Binance's long-term strategy to ease regulations, especially considering the possibility of the Trump administration's re-election.

In response, Changpeng Zhao stated on his X (formerly Twitter) that "the report is unfounded, and I have never hired the individual or collaborated with the organization in question."

He emphasized, "WSJ is fabricating a false narrative by citing anonymous sources, which is a clear violation of journalistic ethics," and "I have not engaged in any form of lobbying for the Chinese government, nor have I conducted or brokered financial transactions linked to any political camp of a specific country."