Changpeng Zhao, often known as CZ, is a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur best known as the co‑founder and former CEO of Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the global crypto industry, both for Binance’s rapid growth and for his personal advocacy of cryptocurrencies.wikipedia+2Early life and background
Zhao was born in 1977 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China, and emigrated with his family to Canada as a teenager, later becoming a Canadian citizen.wikipediaHe studied computer science at McGill University in Montreal, which laid the technical foundation for his later work in financial and trading systems.trainy+1
After university he worked on trading software for financial firms, including roles at the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Bloomberg Tradebook, focusing on high‑performance trading systems.kanga+1He later co‑founded Fusion Systems in Shanghai, building high‑frequency trading platforms, and joined the crypto industry in 2013 with roles at Blockchain.info and as CTO of OKCoin.trainy+1
In 2017, Zhao founded Binance, which quickly grew into one of the largest global cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, helped by fast execution, low fees, and a wide range of listed tokens.kanga+1Binance expanded into multiple services, including derivatives, staking, and a blockchain ecosystem (BNB Chain), making Zhao one of the wealthiest people in crypto, with Forbes estimating his net worth in the billions during the 2017–2021 boom.forbes+2
In November 2023, Zhao resigned as Binance CEO after U.S. authorities charged him with violations including the Bank Secrecy Act, tied to anti‑money‑laundering and sanctions‑evasion failures at Binance.bbc+1He pleaded guilty and in April 2024 was sentenced in U.S. federal court to four months in prison; he served his sentence and was released in September 2024.bbc+1
In October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump granted Zhao a presidential pardon, removing the federal criminal consequences of his conviction and sparking debate about the administration’s stance on crypto and conflicts of interest.finance.yahoo+2Despite stepping down from executive leadership, Zhao remains a prominent figure in the digital asset space and continues to be associated publicly with Binance and broader crypto initiatives.wikipedia+1