Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur who co-founded Binance, which soon became the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. Born in 1977 in China, he immigrated to Vancouver at age 12 and worked multiple jobs (even at McDonald’s) to support his family. He later earned a computer science degree from McGill University. His rise from these humble beginnings to crypto leadership exemplifies determination and vision.
Fintech career: After McGill, Zhao interned at the Tokyo Stock Exchange developing trade-matching software and then worked four years at Bloomberg Tradebook on futures-trading systems.
Crypto pivot (2013): He first heard of Bitcoin in 2013 and famously sold his Shanghai apartment to invest all his wealth in it. He then joined early crypto startups as CTO of Blockchain.info and OKCoin.
Binance launch (2017): Zhao launched Binance in 2017 with an ICO raising about $15 million. In less than eight months, Binance grew to become the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume.
Binance Coin ($BNB )
Launched in 2017, Binance Coin (BNB) is Binance’s native utility token. It powers Binance’s BNB Chain and is used for transactions and governance, granting holders perks like trading-fee discounts, token airdrops and VIP status.