
Foresight News|4月 08, 2026 04:06
[Zhao Changpeng Reveals Details of Negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice: Fine Reduced from $6.8 Billion to $4.3 Billion]
Foresight News reports that Zhao Changpeng has detailed the negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice in his new book *Binance Life*. Throughout 2023, Binance was engaged in intense negotiations with the Department of Justice. Initially, the DOJ demanded $6.8 billion, a figure even the former DOJ lawyers hired by Binance couldn't understand how it was calculated. Zhao Changpeng's side countered with $500 million, and after several rounds of back-and-forth, during which the DOJ issued multiple "final ultimatums," the final settlement was reached at $4.3 billion.
At the time, some lawyers suggested, "CZ, if you pay a bit more in fines, the judge might be more lenient in sentencing." However, in court, the DOJ instead argued that the large fine payment was evidence of significant "issues" and called for a harsher sentence.