The sentencing of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as "CZ," on charges related to violating money laundering regulations, has been deferred to April 30, as stated in a recent Seattle federal court notice. The reason for the two-month postponement was not disclosed in the court document. Zhao, a Canadian citizen, remains on a $175 million bail in the U.S.

Zhao's attorney, William Burck, has not commented on the delay, and inquiries have been made to the Department of Justice by CNBC for further details.

Under federal guidelines, Zhao faces a potential maximum prison time of 18 months, though there's speculation that prosecutors may seek a stricter penalty. On November 21, Zhao admitted to failing to implement an adequate anti-money laundering strategy at Binance, the leading global cryptocurrency exchange. As part of his plea, he agreed to resign as CEO of Binance and to pay a $50 million penalty.

Concurrently, Binance consented to a $4.3 billion payment in fines and restitution after pleading guilty to charges including conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business and breaches of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen criticized Binance for enabling transactions by illicit actors involved in activities ranging from child sexual exploitation to illegal drug trade and terrorism, following the guilty pleas.

Originally, Zhao was slated for sentencing on February 23. However, U.S. District Judge Richard Jones has twice denied Zhao's requests to travel to the United Arab Emirates prior to sentencing, citing his significant wealth and minimal connections to the U.S. as flight risk factors. In his latest request, Zhao sought permission to visit a hospitalized and surgery-needing acquaintance, offering his Binance equity as collateral for his return.