One evening in 2018, CZ (Changpeng Zhao) was sitting in his office as usual, staring at the data on his computer screen. He had just finished a video conference and his face was still tired. Binance has grown rapidly in the past year and has become one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, but he knows in his heart that this is just the beginning. The future of the cryptocurrency world is full of unknowns.
That day, he received an unexpected message - a private email from Elon Musk.
The content of the email was brief but straightforward: “I heard that you are very fascinated by blockchain technology. Maybe we should talk about it. I have an idea.” - Elon.
CZ was stunned for a few seconds, feeling a little surprised. Although he had heard that Musk was interested in Bitcoin and blockchain, he didn't expect that he would come to him directly. Without thinking too much, he quickly replied to the email: "I'm glad to receive your invitation. When will we meet?"
When two giants of the technology world met, no one expected that this meeting would start a complicated love-hate relationship.
They met at a very private cafe in Los Angeles. There were only two people present during the whole meeting, no assistants, no media. Musk wore a simple black T-shirt, his hands in his trouser pockets, and his eyes were shining with excitement. CZ, as always, wore Binance's iconic black hoodie, looking a little low-key.
Musk got straight to the point: "Blockchain technology can change the world's financial system, but I think it's still missing something - it needs a new payment system that can achieve truly global payments."
CZ pondered for a moment and nodded: "I agree with your point of view, but the problem is that the speed and efficiency of blockchain are not enough to support global payments."
Musk grinned: "That's why we need to cooperate."
At that moment, CZ seemed to see the dawn of the future, but also felt a hint of danger. Musk has wild imagination and bold ideas, but he is more like a cunning fox. Behind the cooperation, there may be some deeper purpose hidden.
In the following months, the two worked together in secret, and the Binance and Tesla teams jointly developed a new technology called "Lightning Payment Chain", hoping to make cryptocurrency circulate like cash. This news was not widely exposed in the circle, and only a few people knew about it.
"We are building a borderless financial system," Musk said excitedly at an internal meeting.
CZ was also infected by this vision and devoted himself to the project. The trust between them gradually deepened, and CZ even felt that Musk was one of the few partners he could fight side by side with.
However, the good times did not last long. At the end of 2020, the cryptocurrency market experienced drastic fluctuations, and the price of Bitcoin soared all the way to a record high. Tesla announced a $1.5 billion investment in Bitcoin, which instantly set off the market. But surprisingly, shortly after announcing the investment, Musk suddenly hinted on Twitter: "Bitcoin is too centralized and may not be the future."
This statement caused an uproar in the market, and the price of Bitcoin plummeted instantly.
CZ realized that something was wrong, and he immediately called Musk: "What the hell are you doing? Aren't we pushing the lightning payment chain?"
Musk said lightly on the other end of the phone: "The market needs some volatility to move forward, CZ, you are too serious."
CZ was silent for a few seconds, then replied coldly: "If you just want to manipulate the market, there is no need for us to continue our cooperation."
This was the first time the two had an argument, and after hanging up the phone, CZ realized that Musk was not just a dreamer, he was also a thorough businessman.
As Musk's attitude towards cryptocurrencies has been erratic, sometimes supporting Bitcoin and sometimes turning to Dogecoin, the market has been turned upside down by him. CZ chose to remain silent and focus on the development of Binance, but in 2021, he couldn't bear it anymore.
Once, Musk mocked the Binance system for delaying withdrawals on Twitter, saying: "Binance may need to update their system."
CZ quickly hit back: "Isn't it time for Tesla's autopilot system to be updated? Don't forget, human life is more important than money."
This tweet put Musk in a storm of public opinion, and the public's concerns about autonomous driving accidents were once again raised, and public opinion instantly stood on CZ's side. Musk did not respond again, but the relationship between the two was completely broken.
At the end of 2022, the cryptocurrency market experienced another cold winter, and the crypto projects of Binance and Tesla were hit to varying degrees. At this time, CZ and Musk met again, this time backstage at a blockchain summit.
Musk took the initiative to walk towards CZ, extended his hand and said with a smile: "Maybe we should talk again."
CZ stared at Musk with no expression on his face, but finally shook the hand: "I hope you can be serious this time."
To be continued...$BTC
