- Justin Sun reaffirmed his loyalty to CZ, calling him a mentor and ethical role model.
- Sun emphasized strong ties with DOJ, noting collaboration through T3FCU to protect global users.
- He praised Trump’s crypto stance, claiming TRX is positioned to thrive under U.S. policy.
Tron founder Justin Sun has broken his silence following swirling rumors that his close ally, former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, may have cooperated with U.S. prosecutors against him. On April 11, Sun posted on X, stating, “I’m not aware of the circulating rumors. CZ is both my mentor and a close friend.”
Sun’s post appeared shortly after the Wall Street Journal published a report the same day, claiming that Zhao had met with U.S. Treasury officials to talk about crypto oversight and push for re-entry into the American market. As part of that effort, Changpeng Zhao reportedly agreed to hand over evidence about Sun to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Justin Sun Echoes Trust in Zhao
While Zhao himself has not publicly confirmed or denied the claims, he hinted at something brewing. On April 10, he wrote to his 10 million X followers: “Multiple people have told me again WSJ is writing another baseless hit piece about me.” The timing of that post, just a day before the article dropped, seems more than coincidental.
Justin Sun, on his end, backed Zhao, stating, “To this day, his conduct and principles remain the highest standard I strive to follow as a founder.”
He also emphasized the strong relationship between Tron and the U.S. Department of Justice, calling the DOJ one of the T3 Financial Crime Unit’s “closest and most trusted partners.” T3 FCU was co-founded by Tron, Tether, and TRM Labs to tackle digital asset crime.
“Whether it’s CZ or our partners at the DOJ, we maintain direct, honest communication at all times. I have full trust in each and every one of them,” he said.
Trump Policies Could Boost TRON
Looking ahead, Sun expressed confidence in the future of the crypto industry under U.S. President Donald Trump. He referred to what he described as strong leadership on crypto policy and stated that the U.S. market is well-positioned for further growth. He highlighted that TRON (TRX), as the President’s earliest crypto choice, is expected to benefit from that momentum. “ALL IN USA!” he added.
Back in February, the SEC and Sun had filed a joint request asking a federal court to pause the commission’s ongoing case against him so they could pursue settlement talks. This came nearly a year after the SEC’s March 2023 lawsuit against Sun and three of his ventures — the Tron Foundation, the BitTorrent Foundation, and Rainberry Inc., which is based in San Francisco.
Zhao, on the other hand, was sentenced in April 2024 to four months behind bars over Anti-Money Laundering violations. He served his time and walked free on September 27. At that time, his net worth was pegged at around $60 billion—making him the wealthiest individual ever to serve time in a U.S. prison.
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