- Donald Trump issued pardons for Ross Ulbricht and Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, freeing two high-profile crypto figures in 2025.
- Privacy-focused tokens surged: Monero (XMR) rose about 120% and ZCash (ZEC) climbed roughly 817%, per CoinGecko data.
- Ripple Labs and the SEC withdrew final appeals, clearing a major legal dispute while Ripple paid a $50 million settlement and expanded products.
In 2025, the U.S. president pardoned two prominent crypto figures and the industry saw renewed interest in privacy coins and resumed growth at major firms.
These developments followed court actions, regulatory shifts, and market moves that reshaped participation and product offerings across the sector.
Pardons and legal developments:
Ross Ulbricht, convicted for creating the Silk Road marketplace, was pardoned and released in late January. His post-pardon message was shared via a tweet linked here: Free_Ross, where he thanked the president.
In October, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao of Binance also received a presidential pardon after serving a four-month sentence for violating the Bank Secrecy Act.
“I don’t know him, I don’t believe I’ve ever met him, but I’ve been told he had a lot of support, and they said that what he did is not even a crime, it wasn’t a crime, he was persecuted by the Biden Administration,” the president said regarding CZ.
Privacy coin rally
Investors moved into privacy-focused tokens. Monero (XMR) traded back above $400 and ended the year up about 120%, according to CoinGecko.
Zcash (ZEC) rose roughly 817%, surpassing $500, per CoinGecko.
Privacy coins are cryptocurrencies that obscure transaction details; privacy networks are blockchains designed to protect user Anonymity.
“When users are on private blockchains… they’re less likely to move and risk being exposed,” a report from a16z stated.
Ripple’s resolution
Ripple Labs and the SEC withdrew final appeals in August, ending a long legal dispute.
The company paid a $50 million civil settlement, saw growth in its On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) product (a service for rapid cross-border token transfers) and its stablecoin RLUSD, secured a $500 million funding round at a $40 billion valuation, and saw XRP reach a multi-year high.
Analysts from Standard Chartered projected significant upside for XRP based on demand and regulatory clarity.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
