Changpeng Zao is smart to know that if he tries to influence the market again, Binance will be in more problems. It's not coincidence that SEC approved Bitcoin Spot ETFs with massive contribution from a company in the USA, Grayscale, and many companies there like BlackRock provide their services for customers to access Bitcoin market, then Binance got more bigger legal troubles.
Bitcoin Spot ETFs were approved to help companies in the USA. get benefit, not for Binance. Binance as a non-USA company, actually has many enemies from that country and I believe that Changpeng Zao knows that very well.
He still has big influence but I believe he loves Binance company and will not want to do things which can harm Binance in future.
I agree, he sacrificed himself to save the future of Binance. And you're right, he went to jail, Binance faced lawsuits and a series of bans that caused their market share to drop significantly...it's all a battle for power, market share. They want to dominate this lucrative market and don't want to share it with anyone so they are willing to massacre anyone they think is in their way.
He has a 90% stake, so as the owner he will always have influence over Binance. It is true that Binance's management issues will fall under the control of other people. But in cases like these, the CEO becomes an employee of CZ. According to an article I read, without CZ, Binance had to pay a $4.3 billion penalty, but CZ only paid a $50 million fine. So CZ's fortune has not reduced at all, and he says it is in cryptocurrencies.
As far as I remember Binance still had to pay a $4.3 billion fine, CZ went to jail and he personally had to pay another $50 million fine, both were convicted by the US justice department, not just one.
https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/14145424213970