Changpeng Zhao

Chinese-Canadian businessman.

About

User Info

Changpeng Zhao, populalrly known as CZ, is a Chinese-Canadian businessman. He founded Binance, the biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the world based on trading volume. CZ came across Bitcoin (BTC) in 2013 from a friend.

Quick Facts

Full Name	Changpeng Zhao
Birth	1977 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
Nationality	Chinese-Canadian, UAE
Education	BSc. from McGill University
Marital Status	Married to Yang Weiqing
Famous For	Binance, Advocate for decentralized finance, blockchain tech.
Net Worth	$59.4B (refer for realtime)

Before starting Binance in 2017, he was the Head of Development at Blockchain.info and the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at OKCoin. Under CZ, Binance launched an ICO (Initial Coin Offering) that raised $15 million and rapidly became the largest exchange within months.

To improve trading options, the firm introduced Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Binance Labs, Binance Academy, Binance Launchpad, and other blockchain-based solutions. CZ has influenced the global adoption of crypto by offering regulatory compliance, DeFi solutions, and infrastructure for digital assets.

CZ’s Career Timeline

Tokyo Stock Exchange (2001–2003) – Developed trading systems for financial institutions.
Bloomberg Tradebook (2003–2005) – Worked as a software developer for high-frequency trading systems.
Fusion Systems (2005–2013) – Co-founded this financial technology firm specializing in ultra-low-latency trading solutions.
Blockchain.info (2013–2014) – Served as Head of Development, working with early Bitcoin adopters like Roger Ver and Ben Reeves.
OKCoin (2014–2015) – Worked as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at one of the largest fiat-to-crypto exchanges at the time.
Binance (2017–2023) – Founded Binance and led it to become the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange before stepping down as CEO in 2023.

Awards and Recognizations of CZ

List of achievements	Year
Bloomberg 50 – Most Influential People in Finance	2021
Forbes Crypto Rich List – Billionaire Status	2022
Top 10 Most Influential People in Crypto (CoinDesk)	2022
Binance – World’s Largest Crypto Exchange by Volume	2018-23

There were regulatory issues in some countries about crypto. However, CZ continued to support decentralization, financial freedom, and innovation in the cryptocurrency industry. After reaching an agreement with U.S. regulators over compliance violations, in 2023, he resigned as CEO of Binance.