A four-meter-tall golden statue honoring Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) will be unveiled outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, just days after his presidential pardon from Donald Trump — sparking intense debate over anonymous backers and a newly launched meme token called CZSTATUE.
Anonymous Funders Behind the CZ Statue
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According to organizer Nick Zee, four anonymous individuals contributed around $50,000 to produce the statue.
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The 14-foot monument was crafted over four weeks using CNC technology, carved from dense foam blocks to depict CZ’s signature four-finger gesture — symbolizing his 2023 call to “ignore FUD” (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) during Binance’s regulatory struggles.
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After a few hours on public display, the statue will either be gifted to Zhao or auctioned to benefit Giggle Academy, the nonprofit educational organization CZ founded after pleading guilty to anti–money laundering charges in 2024.
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Binance has denied any official connection to the project, while the source of the $50,000 funding remains undisclosed.
Meme Token Launch Raises Transparency Concerns
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Alongside the statue, a meme token named CZSTATUE launched on BNB Chain, rapidly reaching a $577,000 market capitalization within days.
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Analysts observed unusual trading activity surrounding CZ’s pardon.
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Crypto analyst NihonNinjaTaro reported that a “mysterious whale wallet” earned $57,000 in just hours, profiting from tokens linked to the pardon — the same wallet that had previously “predicted” other major market moves.
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The incident has fueled speculation about potential insider trading, as the token’s valuation far exceeds the statue’s production cost. The token’s issuer, ownership, and revenue distribution remain unclear, raising transparency concerns.
Statue, Token, and “Pardon Marketing”?
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CZ pleaded guilty to anti–money laundering violations in November 2023 as part of a $4.3 billion settlement between Binance and U.S. regulators. He resigned as CEO and served four months in prison before receiving a presidential pardon on October 23, 2025.
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Senator Elizabeth Warren sharply criticized the move, alleging that CZ boosted Trump’s crypto ventures and lobbied for his own pardon, calling it “a blatant display of corruption.”
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In this politically charged atmosphere, the statue’s unveiling is seen as a symbolic gesture of admiration — one that avoids the optics of a corporate celebration but still generates massive media attention.
No evidence currently links the anonymous donors to CZ or Binance-affiliated figures. Still, BNB’s price has climbed 18% over the past month, trading around $1,140 at the time of writing.
The CZ statue and its associated token underscore the blurring lines between art, politics, and speculation, as event-driven meme tokens continue to dominate the crypto spotlight.
