CZ’s Unpublished Memoir Draws Scrutiny, Sparks Memecoin Surge

A nearly 300-page draft of Changpeng Zhao’s unpublished memoir, Freedom of Money, was obtained and recounts secret negotiations with the US Department of Justice, his four-month prison sentence, and a long rivalry with Sam Bankman-Fried. Prosecutors initially sought $6.8 billion from Binance; the exchange countered with $500 million and the parties settled on a $4.3 billion penalty.

CZ pleaded guilty to a single count of violating the anti‑money‑laundering law. The manuscript also describes an ICE detainer after his release, two final weeks under police custody and a swift exit on a private plane 26 minutes after leaving detention.

United States

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