As the sentencing date of former Binance CEO, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao approaches, speculation is rife on what consequences he faces. Zhao previously admitted to one felony account linked to failing to maintain an effective Anti-Money Laundering (AML) program while leading Binance, contravening the Bank Secrecy Act. In connection with his guilty plea, he stepped down as CEO and agreed to settle U.S. civil regulatory enforcement action with a hefty $4.3 billion.

Zhao’s situation has drawn parallels to the case of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, who recently received a 25-year prison sentence after a conviction on seven felony counts. However, insiders say these cases aren’t comparable due to the differences in charges. The maximum penalty for Zhao’s charge could see him behind bars for ten years, yet the suggested sentence is between 12 to 18 months. Zhao might also escape prison completely because of his guilty plea and active cooperation with authorities.

Some believe that the U.S. authorities could use these high-profile cases to broadcast a strong message to potential wrongdoers in the crypto field. Nevertheless, the former Binance CEO could enjoy “some leniency” from the judge due to his cooperation and admission of guilt.

However, discussions vary, and some believe the judge considering CZ’s sentence could be influenced by recent events surrounding Hamas’ attack on Israel and potential links to crypto financing terrorist activities. The wildcard in CZ’s case may be public sentiment and its possible alignment with government views if these connections are proven.

Despite his guilty plea, Zhao has been mostly free within specific U.S territories, courtesy of a $175 million bond. However, his requests to travel to the UAE to visit relatives before facing the judge have been turned down.