Trump family held deal talks with Binance's US arm, WSJ reports

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump's family held talks with the U.S. arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance about potential business deals, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The discussions between Trump's family and Binance.US took place in recent months, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The talks included potential licensing deals for Trump-branded cryptocurrencies and NFTs, as well as possible investments in Trump Media & Technology Group.

Representatives for Trump and Binance.US did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The talks come as Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House in the November election, has recently expressed more favorable views toward cryptocurrencies, a shift from his previous stance. In 2019, Trump had said he was "not a fan" of cryptocurrencies, which he said were "not money" and "based on thin air."

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has faced regulatory scrutiny in the United States. In November, Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to breaking U.S. anti-money-laundering laws. Zhao stepped down as CEO and the company agreed to pay $4.3 billion to resolve the investigation.

Binance.US, which is operated by BAM Trading Services, has maintained that it is independent of Binance, though Zhao had owned a significant stake in the U.S. entity before his legal troubles.

The cryptocurrency industry has been increasingly active in U.S. politics, with several executives and companies making substantial donations to candidates and political action committees ahead of the 2024 election.

Reporting by James Chen in New York; Editing by Michelle Price and Lisa Shumaker

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