That man is back!

On September 27, Zhao Changpeng will step onto the streets of Long Beach, California for the first time as a free man, as his release date fell on a weekend, two days earlier.

Now, as CZ returns to society, he will have more options, with a personal fortune of $60 billion (ranked 25th in the world) and the legal troubles that plagued him a thing of the past. CZ did not immediately respond to questions about his next steps, and his lawyer told Fortune that he did not want to be interviewed on the day of his release.

Still, we can make some educated guesses about his next move:

1. Some speculate that the first stop is likely to be Dubai or Paris, where his children live with their mother He Yi.

2. Some speculate that Giggle Academy (creating free, fun and accessible learning tools for underprivileged children around the world) may have more details in the coming months (HOOK, the leader in the education sector, will be discussed later)

3. Turn to his third pursuit: the cryptocurrency industry that made him extremely wealthy and dominated the past decade.

With CZ's first tweet "gm" after his release, the entire network has become popular, and major KOLs and platforms are expressing their views on the market. The release of the cousin is not only a symbolic moment for the cryptocurrency industry, but also an important node in the development of the industry.

In the cryptocurrency space, his criminal settlement required him to step down as Binance CEO and stay away from any “day-to-day” activities at the company. But he remains the company’s largest shareholder, which should give him considerable influence over its future direction.

CZ's transformation from the founder of an exchange to a symbolic moment in the circle. CZ's return has made everyone more confident and brought more possibilities to the second half of the crypto industry. It is an important node in the development of the industry.

CZ Personal Profile

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, once topped the list of the richest Chinese with 573.3 billion yuan. Now the top spot is held by Jensen Huang, founder of Nvidia (NVDA).

CZ was a programmer who developed trading software. In 2017, he founded Binance in Shanghai. Within a few years, Binance quickly grew into the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, with a market share of more than 2/3 at its peak and still above 50% at present.

In 2021, Zhao Changpeng's wealth once reached 94.1 billion US dollars, making him the richest Chinese in the world. In April this year, before Zhao Changpeng was sentenced in the United States, this figure was still as high as 39.7 billion US dollars, ranking 38th on the global rich list.

At one point, CZ’s personal assets were estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars, a large portion of which was held in the form of cryptocurrencies, especially Binance Coin (BNB). This has also become a concern for the market.

A review of CZ's life before he went to prison

The case stems from the U.S. Department of Justice's multi-year investigation into Binance, and CZ was prosecuted for failing to effectively implement anti-money laundering measures. Although he paid a $50 million fine and resigned as Binance CEO in 2023, he still couldn't escape jail.

What did BN go through while CZ was in prison?

To some extent, BN already has the operational capabilities and regulatory adaptability independent of any single person:

1. Continuous listing: During the four months that CZ was detained, Binance launched 37 token perpetual contracts, 8 token spot, 6 Launchpools, and 1 Megadrop, which can be called a model worker.
2. Dealing with public opinion: He Yi has come forward many times to issue clarification statements on what coins to list and how to avoid corruption.

3. Public activities/voice: He Yi and Richard Tengl actively and frequently appear in public activities for the purpose of public relations and also for formal needs.

CZ is released from prison, how will the market react?

CZ’s release from prison is undoubtedly a major event in the cryptocurrency market.

Many investors believe that CZ's return may rekindle the market's confidence in BN. As one of the world's largest crypto exchanges, Binance has a pivotal position in the industry. CZ's leadership and industry experience are expected to help BN consolidate its leading position in the highly competitive market and attract more users. Especially for BNB holders, it may be seen as a positive signal.

In addition, although he cannot hold a position, he may still have an influence on the company through informal channels. Through experience and insights, it is crucial for Binance to compete in the cryptocurrency market.

How will CZ’s release from prison affect the crypto market?

1. Rebuilding market confidence

CZ’s return could rekindle market confidence in BN

2. Binance’s business strategy

CZ is likely to continue to influence Binance’s long-term strategy and business direction. Although he may be legally restricted, he may still have influence on the company through informal channels.

3. Market volatility and concerns about asset sell-offs

CZ's personal assets are estimated to be tens of billions of dollars, most of which are held in the form of cryptocurrencies such as Binance Coin (BNB). The market is worried that he may sell a large number of crypto assets, especially BNB, after his release from prison, which may trigger sharp market fluctuations. However, analysts point out that CZ's position as a long-term holder makes a large-scale sell-off less likely.

What does CZ's future hold after his release from prison?

Finally, it’s worth noting that CZ is only 47 years old — the prime age of many executives’ careers and the age at which many start their CEO careers. All of this suggests that CZ is ready for his second act.

Although CZ will not be directly involved in the daily operations of Binance, as the largest shareholder, his strategic guidance is still crucial. In addition to the just-released GM, I am looking forward to CZ's "small essay", which is not only a record of CZ's personal experience, but also his thoughts and expectations on the future development of the industry.

Which sectors will benefit from CZ's return?

The CZ-related sectors will be a huge pump, among which the education sector has always been one that CZ pays more attention to.

Just like the "Giggle Academy" project launched before he went to prison, it aims to create free, fun and accessible learning tools for poor children around the world. Currently, Giggle Academy only has a website, and detailed information about the project's timeline, funding sources, and scale have not yet been disclosed. It is also possible that CZ will disclose more details after he is released from prison.

Then the leader of the education sector, HOOK, will be worth paying attention to. HOOK is the leading currency in the BN education sector. With this return and the promotion of the big market, HOOK is expected to have a big rise!

In addition, BSC’s core assets include: CAKE and TWT

CAKE

On BSC, CAKE is the core platform. BSC was previously known as the meme chain. Although it has been quiet recently, it may be about to explode. The meme coin issuance platform on Solana has promoted the prosperity of the Sol ecosystem, and the coin issuance platform founded by Sun Ge has also activated the Tron chain. The BSC coin issuance platform jointly launched by Floki and DWF is also about to go online, which is expected to ignite the BSC ecosystem.

Whether from the perspective of user growth, performance improvement or volume expansion, CAKE has demonstrated great potential and long-term investment value. CAKE, known as the "Binance duo" together with BNB, is widely optimistic about its future development prospects.

TWT

TWT recently announced that it will launch lunchpool, which will most likely involve the issuance of meme coins and will focus on wallet functions. It is natural to buy meme coins, and if the first meme coin rises sharply, TWT will also rise with it.