Loading summary
A
Economic shifts, geopolitical change In a world defined by disruption, what if leaders could turn uncertainty into advantage? Join SAP at the break to hear how organizations can stay resilient and stay ahead. Here's your afternoon TNB Tech minute for Thursday, October 23rd. I'm Julie Chang for the Wall Street Journal. We exclusively report that President Trump has pardoned Champagne Zhao, or cz, the convicted founder and former CEO of crypto Exchange Binance. In 2023, the company pleaded guilty to violating US Anti Money Laundering requirements and was barred from operating in the U.S. cZ left prison in September last year after serving four months on related charges. Yesterday's pardon follows months of efforts by CZ to boost the Trump family's own crypto company, World Liberty Financial. And Binance has been one of the main drivers of the growth of World Liberty's dollar pegged cryptocurrency. USD 13 European Aerospace and defense giants plan to join their space activities into a new company to take on Elon Musk's SpaceX as well as enhance Europe's autonomy in space. Airbus, Leonardo and Thales new entity doesn't have a name yet, but the companies say it'll employ about 25,000 people and be operational in 2027 should it obtain antitrust approval from the EU. Airbus will hold a 35% stake, while Leonardo and Thales will each own 32.5. Still, the three companies will have equal control. Company executives say they expect demand for space services and infrastructure in Europe to increase over the coming years, and intel is showing progress in its turnaround effort. Today it reported sales growth in its core product line of PC processors and shrinking costs, which were the results of cuts. The chipmaker posted income of $4.1 billion for the third quarter. Intel shares are up more than 85% so far this year, with almost of the gains coming since August, when the US government announced a 10% equity stake in the company. For a deeper dive into what's happening in tech, check out Friday's Tech News Briefing podcast. Uncertainty is inevitable, but it doesn't have to hold your business back. Here's Sebastian Steinhauser of SAP again on how companies can adapt to the unpredictable and thrive Technology is the greatest tool in your tool set to help you create that capability to train that muscle in your enterprise to adapt fast to change in the environment. And that's why customers are turning to SAP now to say, hey SAP, you already run our most mission critical processes in our enterprise. Help us apply generative AI, agentic AI, apply this disruptive technology to improve our agility when it comes to making fast decisions for our business in a very uncertain economic environment. Learn more about how SAP helps businesses conquer uncertainty@SAP.com Uncertainty Custom content from WSJ is a unit of the Wall Street Journal Advertising Department. The Wall Street Journal News Organization was not involved in the creation of this content.
Episode: TNB Tech Minute: Trump Pardons Binance Founder CZ
Date: October 23, 2025
Host: Julie Chang
This episode of the WSJ Tech Minute delivers a rapid-fire rundown of the day’s most striking tech news. The focal point is the exclusive scoop on President Trump’s pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), following his conviction and brief imprisonment for anti-money laundering violations. The episode also covers a major European aerospace alliance to rival SpaceX, and Intel’s financial rebound, closing with a brief commentary on business adaptability from SAP.
The biggest story: President Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao, known as “CZ,” the founder and ex-CEO of Binance.
Context:
Notable Political Connection:
"Yesterday's pardon follows months of efforts by CZ to boost the Trump family's own crypto company, World Liberty Financial. And Binance has been one of the main drivers of the growth of World Liberty's dollar pegged cryptocurrency."
— Julie Chang, [00:36]
Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales are combining their space businesses into a new entity (unnamed as of now).
Objective: Compete with US juggernaut SpaceX and strengthen Europe’s space industry.
Ownership:
Motivation: Expected surge in demand for space infrastructure and autonomy across Europe.
"The companies say it'll employ about 25,000 people and be operational in 2027 should it obtain antitrust approval from the EU."
— Julie Chang, [01:24]
Intel’s quarterly report shows strong sales growth in its PC processor lines and reduced operational costs after companywide cuts.
Earnings highlight: $4.1 billion income in Q3.
Stock performance: Up over 85% year-to-date, with most gains since August, when the US government disclosed a 10% equity stake in Intel.
"Intel shares are up more than 85% so far this year, with almost all of the gains coming since August, when the US government announced a 10% equity stake in the company."
— Julie Chang, [02:06]
Brief segment featuring Sebastian Steinhauser of SAP (appears to be sponsored content).
Emphasizes how technology, particularly AI, is vital for organizational resilience amid unpredictability.
"Technology is the greatest tool in your tool set to help you create that capability to train that muscle in your enterprise to adapt fast to change in the environment."
— Sebastian Steinhauser, [02:35]
Julie Chang, regarding Trump's pardon and CZ’s support of Trump’s crypto interests:
"Yesterday's pardon follows months of efforts by CZ to boost the Trump family's own crypto company, World Liberty Financial. And Binance has been one of the main drivers of the growth of World Liberty's dollar pegged cryptocurrency." [00:36]
On the significance of European aerospace consolidation:
"The companies say it'll employ about 25,000 people and be operational in 2027 should it obtain antitrust approval from the EU." [01:24]
Market impact of Intel’s rebound and U.S. government investment:
"Intel shares are up more than 85% so far this year, with almost all of the gains coming since August, when the US government announced a 10% equity stake in the company." [02:06]
SAP’s outlook on adapting to uncertainty:
"Technology is the greatest tool in your tool set to help you create that capability to train that muscle in your enterprise to adapt fast to change in the environment." — Sebastian Steinhauser, SAP [02:35]
This episode efficiently packs actionable news, highlighting major intersections between tech, policy, and business, while raising thought-provoking questions about political influence in the crypto space and the evolution of global tech leadership.