Changpeng Zhao, the now former CEO of Binance, pleaded guilty to violating criminal U.S. anti-money-laundering requirements. He has agreed to pay $4.3 billion to settle the case with the US government and faces 18 months in prison. Zhao's guilty plea is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into Binance by US regulators. The company has been under scrutiny for its compliance with anti-money-laundering laws, and Zhao's plea suggests that the company may have fallen short of these requirements.