Zhao Changpeng's Strong Return to Hong Kong: From 'Exiled' to 'Main Speaker', One Phrase Changes the Course and Ignites the Crowd
Four years ago, he was forced to leave the mainland; now, he returns to Hong Kong in a sharp suit.
The audience is fully packed, with senior regulators, institutional investors, and project founders gathered—Zhao Changpeng's first words set the tone: 'The ship hasn't capsized, it has just changed course.' The applause erupted instantly.
'I am back, and the story is just beginning.'
After four years away, traveling through many countries, he ultimately chose Hong Kong.
In 2021, Binance was asked to leave the mainland; Zhao Changpeng bid farewell on Weibo: 'Green mountains and clear waters, we will meet again.'
From 2022 to 2024, Dubai, Paris, and Abu Dhabi all invited him to land, but he reserved the most important stop for Hong Kong.
On August 27, 2025, he spoke at the University of Hong Kong—once an 'exile', now opening the dialogue on his home turf.
Six core viewpoints, each one impactful:
1. Stablecoins: A Hidden Opportunity for RMB Internationalization
'USDT has secretly facilitated hundreds of billions in cross-border business for the dollar—Hong Kong dollar stablecoins are the new ticket for RMB to go global.'
2. RWA: What Goes on the Chain Should Be Financial Assets, Not Houses
'Don't break luxury apartments into ten thousand pieces; what should go on the chain are stocks and bonds. Whoever succeeds first will be the next generation’s New York Stock Exchange.'
3. Exchanges: Hong Kong Doesn't Need to Reinvent the Wheel
'Building an exchange can cost $1 billion + 300 security experts. Open, compliant cooperation saves money; you could enjoy dim sum for ten years with the savings.'
4. The Future Belongs to DEX: Email Registration Will Eventually Be Replaced by Wallet Logins
'You may find CEX convenient now, but in the future DEX will be the norm. Big players are already migrating; don’t wait until the whole market changes course to follow.'
5. AI Will Trade with Each Other, Blockchain Enables Instant Micro-payments
'A transaction between AIs might only cost $0.01—banks ignore it, but it can be done on-chain. This hides the next trillion-dollar market.'
6. Advice for Hong Kong: Be Fast, Be Open, Look to the Margins
'Regulators must avoid waiting for perfection to act; liquidity must be globally interconnected; lay the groundwork for DEX and AI in advance—today’s non-mainstream is tomorrow’s main battlefield.'
In his final words, he paused slightly:
'After four years away, I once thought I could never return to the Chinese-speaking world. But standing here, I know—everything has only changed course, and now, the ship has just set sail.'
Is four years not enough to see the east and west of the river?
Sometimes, disruption only requires a moment, and so does return. #赵长鹏王者归来 #CZ #香港Web3嘉年华 @CZ $BNB $BTC