Changpeng Zhao
Changpeng Zhao | |
|---|---|
| Changpeng Zhao Changpeng Zhao, co-founder of Binance | |
| Born | 10 September 1977 Jiangsu, China |
| Education | McGill University (BSc in Computer Science) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder of Binance |
Changpeng Zhao (born 10 September 1977), commonly known as CZ, is a Canadian entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.[1][2]
Early life and education
Zhao was born on 10 September 1977 in Jiangsu, China. His family emigrated to Vancouver, Canada, in the late 1980s.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from McGill University in Montreal.[1] He worked on trading systems for the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Bloomberg before entering the cryptocurrency industry.[1]
Career
Zhao served as CTO of the exchange OKCoin before founding Binance in 2017 with Yi He, raising US$15 million through an initial coin offering of the BNB token. Binance rapidly became the world's largest crypto exchange.[1] In 2023, Binance settled US regulatory charges for US$4.3 billion, and Zhao pleaded guilty to violating anti-money-laundering requirements, stepping down as CEO and serving a four-month prison sentence in 2024.[1] According to Forbes, he is the richest Canadian, with a net worth estimated at US$111.1 billion as of April 2026.[2]
He pleaded guilty in 2023 in the Binance case.[3] He was pardoned in 2025.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changpeng_Zhao
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.forbes.com/profile/changpeng-zhao/
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/doj-says-binance-customers-used-crypto-exchange-to-funnel-iran-oil-money-d546b0a9
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/binance-trump-crypto-pardon-cz-changpeng-zhao-1007fde9