In the ever-changing cryptocurrency market, Zhao Changpeng (CZ) shines like a brilliant star, once again at the pinnacle of wealth. On June 10, 2025, Forbes' billionaire list indicated that CZ, with a net worth of $65.7 billion, reclaimed the title of the richest person of Chinese descent.
From a tech enthusiast to a crypto giant
CZ's story is like an inspirational legend. Born in Lianyungang, Jiangsu in 1977, he immigrated to Canada with his parents at the age of 12. After studying computer science at McGill University, he held technical positions at renowned financial institutions such as the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Bloomberg in New York due to his outstanding technical abilities. In 2005, seeking more, CZ moved to Shanghai and founded his own company focused on developing high-frequency trading systems for brokerages.
In 2013, CZ came across Bitcoin by chance and was quickly attracted by its decentralized concept and immense potential. He then resolutely sold his house and devoted himself entirely to the cryptocurrency field. In 2017, CZ founded Binance, a platform dedicated to providing secure and efficient trading services for global cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Within just a few years, Binance rapidly rose to become one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, and CZ thus began his wealth myth.
The Rise and Fall of Wealth
CZ's path to wealth has not been smooth. By the end of 2021, with the sharp rise in the prices of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, CZ's net worth once reached $94.1 billion, making him the richest person of Chinese descent for the first time. However, the subsequent crash of the cryptocurrency market and increasingly stringent global regulations posed significant challenges for Binance, leading to a substantial decrease in CZ's wealth.
But in 2025, the cryptocurrency market welcomed a wave of bull market trends, with prices of mainstream cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin continuing to rise. Benefiting from the market's fervent emotions and investors' enthusiastic pursuit of crypto assets, Binance's trading volume surged, leading to rapid appreciation of CZ's wealth. Meanwhile, after experiencing a series of regulatory storms, Binance actively adjusted its strategy, strengthened compliance efforts, and gradually regained the trust and recognition of the market, laying a solid foundation for its valuation increase.
Additionally, BNB, as the native token of the Binance platform, performed exceptionally well during the bull market of 2025. Its wide range of application scenarios and unique value logic, such as trading fee discounts, Launchpad/Launchpool, and the BNB Chain ecosystem, attracted a large number of users to hold and use BNB, driving up its price and further contributing to CZ's wealth growth. Furthermore, the increase in BNB's market value has in turn enhanced Binance's brand value and market influence, creating a positive cycle that consolidated CZ's wealth status.
The Responsibility and Mission of the Richest Person of Chinese Descent
CZ's return as the richest person of Chinese descent is not only a personal glory but also a recognition and inspiration for the entire cryptocurrency industry. As the richest person of Chinese descent, CZ's every move is closely watched, and his success story inspires countless young people to bravely pursue their dreams and boldly innovate and explore unknown fields.
However, the halo of being the richest person also comes with great responsibility and mission. In an interview, CZ expressed his hope to promote the healthy development of the cryptocurrency industry through his efforts, allowing more people to understand and accept cryptocurrency technology, and creating more value for society. At the same time, he is keenly aware of the importance of regulation, emphasizing that Binance will continue to strengthen compliance efforts and maintain close cooperation with global regulatory agencies to jointly build a safe and reliable cryptocurrency market environment.
Future Path: Opportunities and Challenges Coexist
Although CZ has once again topped the list of the richest people of Chinese descent, his future path is still filled with opportunities and challenges. On one hand, the development potential of the cryptocurrency market is immense. With continuous technological innovation and the expansion of application scenarios, CZ is expected to continue leading Binance to achieve greater breakthroughs in the crypto field, further consolidating his wealth status. On the other hand, factors such as global regulatory uncertainty, intensified market competition, and fluctuations in cryptocurrency prices could threaten CZ's wealth.
Moreover, although CZ has made a low-key return, the legal issues he faced in 2023 due to his guilty plea have not been fully resolved. The U.S. Department of Justice, Treasury, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission are still negotiating his sentence. Meanwhile, the lawsuit by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Binance is ongoing, all of which may impact Binance's development and CZ's wealth.
CZ's story is a legendary epic of wealth, from a tech enthusiast to a crypto giant, from the pinnacle of being the richest to a fall, and now to a resurgence; he has always walked on the edge. In the future, how CZ will respond to various challenges and continue to write his wealth myth remains to be seen.
