PART 2 : PS3R
⛔2017 – The Launch
Founded July 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (CZ) in China.
ICO Success: Raised ~$15 million via its BNB token ICO.
Rapid Growth: Became the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume within 6 months.
⛔2018 – Global Expansion
Launched Binance Labs, a venture arm to invest in blockchain startups.
Introduced Binance Academy (educational content) and Binance Info (market data).
Began work on Binance Chain, its own blockchain.
⛔2019 – Binance Chain & DEX
Binance Chain went live along with Binance DEX (decentralized exchange).
Binance Coin (BNB) migrated from Ethereum to Binance Chain.
Expanded fiat-to-crypto access through local partnerships and Binance Jersey (for Europe).
⛔2020 – DeFi & Smart Contracts
Launched Binance Smart Chain (BSC) — an Ethereum-compatible chain for DeFi and smart contracts.
BNB price started rising again due to BSC usage.
Launched Binance Card, allowing users to spend crypto.
⛔2021 – Peak Growth & Scrutiny
Binance saw explosive growth in users and volume during the bull market.
CZ pledged to make Binance more compliant and "centralized" where needed.
Rolled out Binance NFT Marketplace and expanded institutional services.
⛔2022 – Regulation, Innovation & Consolidation
Tightened compliance measures (mandatory KYC for all users.
Continued to innovate on BSC with Web3 integrations, GameFi, and DeFi protocols.
Helped support the crypto ecosystem during the Terra and FTX collapses.
⛔2023 – Leadership Changes & Legal Challenges
Changpeng Zhao stepped down as CEO in late 2023 after a settlement with U.S. authorities.
Richard Teng was appointed CEO.
Binance agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines to U.S. agencies but continued global operations.
Reaffirmed focus on regulatory compliance and user protection.
⛔2024–2025 – Reinvention & Web3 Pivot
Binance began rebranding as a Web3 ecosystem leader—focusing on wallets, decentralized identity, and cross-chain infrastructure.
Binance Smart Chain evolved into BNB Chain, now supporting scalable Layer 2 solutions.
Still remains a top 3 global exchange, but more focused on decentralization, regulation, and ecosystem services rather than just trading.
