Senate Democrats and industry figures condemn President Trump’s pardon of Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao. | Credit: David Ryder / Stringer
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Key Takeaways
Changpeng Zhao has accused leading news outlets of contacting him for comment of pursuing the same agenda.
Zhao suggested the requests were part of a coordinated effort to damage his and Binance’s reputation.
Separately, Zhao warned that the official U.K. BNB Chain X account had been hacked.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) accused the Financial Times and Reuters of practicing bad journalism after both outlets approached him with similar questions about Binance’s ties to a Trump-linked stablecoin.
In posts on X, Zhao mocked the two news groups for what he called joining the “Tinfoil Hat Club” and questioned whether they were owned by the “same ‘owner’ behind the scenes?”
The comments come shortly after CZ warned that the official BNB Chain account on X had been hacked.
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In a series of posts on X on Wednesday, Oct. 1, CZ lashed out at what he described as coordinated journalism by major news organizations.
He claimed that the Financial Times and Reuters had sent him near-identical requests for comments relating to an investigation into pardons and lawsuits dropped during the Trump administration.
“Breaking: FT & Reuters just launched a joint venture… the Tinfoil Hat Club. Or are they ‘owned’ by the same ‘owner’ behind the scenes?” CZ wrote on X.
“Two outlets, sent the same FUD script, same deadline. At least change the font, guys,” he said.
Breaking: FT & Reuters just launched a joint venture… the Tinfoil Hat Club. Or are they "owned" by the same "owner" behind the scenes? 🤷♂️
Two outlets, sent the same FUD script, same deadline. At least change the font, guys. 😂
He went on to accuse reporters of approaching him under the guise of balance, but then ignoring or distorting his answers.
In a separate message, Zhao expanded his criticism to include Forbes, suggesting all three outlets acted under the same influence.
“It’s a triple JV. FT, Reuters, and now Forbes all work for the same sponsor / ‘puppet master’?,” he wrote.
Journalistic Inquiries
Zhao also shared a screenshot of one of the email inquiries he received.
The journalist was looking for information regarding Binance’s $2 billion investment deal with Abu Dhabi’s MGX and the stablecoin USD1 issued by Trump’s World Liberty Financial.
The email also referred to the dismissal of a lawsuit by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against him and Binance earlier this year.
CZ shared reporters’ information requests with his followers | Source: X
By posting the message publicly, Zhao appeared to suggest that the questions were part of a coordinated attempt to undermine Binance and his own reputation.
However, not all of CZ’s followers were on his side. One X user responded: “Media doing a good job of holding you accountable to this huge conflict of interest — you can’t just brush it off this time.”
BNB X Account Hacked
Just hours earlier, Zhao warned that the official @BNBChain account on X had been hacked and used to promote phishing sites.
“The hacker posted a bunch of links to phishing websites that ask for Wallet Connect. Do NOT connect your wallet,” Zhao warned.
He said Binance’s security teams had alerted X and were working to suspend the compromised account.
The BNB Chain account was hacked on Oct. 1 | Source: X
“Always check the domains very carefully, even from official X handles. Stay SAFU!” he wrote.
One disgruntled X user wrote: “Will the victims of the endless phishing attacks get any support? A few people lost their savings after connecting.”
At the time of reporting, the phishing links had been removed but the X account remained accessible.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
