Changpeng Zhao (CZ): The Man Who Built Binance
Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, has one of the most remarkable success stories in the cryptocurrency world. Born in 1977 in China's Jiangsu province, his family relocated to Canada during his teenage years due to political circumstances. To help support his family, young CZ took on various part-time jobs while studying, including working at McDonald's and local gas stations. His strong work ethic and technical aptitude led him to pursue computer science at McGill University, laying the foundation for his future in technology and finance.
CZ's professional journey began in Tokyo where he developed trading software for stock exchanges. After gaining valuable experience at Bloomberg Tradebook and co-founding an IT consultancy called Fusion Systems, he discovered Bitcoin in 2013 and became deeply involved in the crypto space. He held key positions at Blockchain.com and OKCoin before launching his own exchange platform, Bijie Tech, which eventually evolved into Binance in 2017.
The launch of Binance marked a turning point in crypto history. Within months, it grew to become the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, with CZ's net worth peaking at an estimated $96 billion. Despite facing numerous challenges including regulatory scrutiny across multiple countries and a major security breach in 2019, CZ's leadership and Binance's innovative offerings like the BNB token and futures trading have cemented its position as an industry leader.
Today, CZ's influence extends far beyond Binance. His vision has helped shape global cryptocurrency adoption, decentralized finance, and the broader Web3 ecosystem. From selling his apartment to buy Bitcoin to building a multi-billion dollar empire, CZ's journey embodies the transformative potential of blockchain technology and serves as an inspiration to entrepreneurs worldwide. His story demonstrates how determination, technical expertise, and belief in cryptocurrency's future can create extraordinary success in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.
