Binance's DOJ settlement offered some glimmers of hope for the crypto industry

cointelegraph.com:

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao's (CZ) departure from the platform he founded and the company's guilty plea in a staggering $4.3 billion settlement with the United States Department of Justice have sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency world. This development poses a crucial question: Is it a harbinger of doom or a bullish signal for the industry?

On crypto Twitter, where speculation is rife, it's easy to lose sight of the core issues. Let's delve into what this settlement truly signifies, starting with the fundamental reason for cryptocurrency's existence.

Cryptocurrency was never meant to be defined by central figures or platforms. Satoshi Nakamoto's brilliance lay in creating a decentralized system, one that did not depend on individual prominence or authority. True to the ethos of crypto, this system was built on the pillars of anonymity and decentralization – principles that CZ, despite his notable contributions, veered away from. While he wasn't a malefactor like Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), CZ also wasn't a staunch advocate for crypto's foundational values.

Related: WSJ debacle fueled US lawmakers’ ill-informed crusade against crypto

The DOJ action against Binance is more than a punitive measure. It represents a continuation of a narrative. In the wake of the FTX scandal and its links to SBF, the Biden administration appears to have adopted a stringent stance toward the crypto sector — despite SBF’s donations to President Biden’s campaign. However, the implications of the Binance settlement transcend mere political storytelling.

.@EamonJavers reports on the latest in the federal criminal case against Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. https://t.co/GlGXivktKT pic.twitter.com/HfYPqNjcKb

Binance's admission to the DOJ's