๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ง๐๐ซ(๐๐)
Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is the founder and CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Born in Jiangsu, China, in 1977, his family emigrated to Canada during his teenage years after his father was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution. CZ worked odd jobs, like flipping burgers, to help support his family. He later studied computer science at McGill University in Montreal.
Starting his career in finance, CZ worked at the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Bloomberg, focusing on trading systems. In 2013, he learned about Bitcoin and became fascinated with cryptocurrency. He sold his apartment in Shanghai to invest in Bitcoin and entered the crypto space, working at Blockchain.info and OKCoin.
In 2017, CZ launched Binance through a $15 million Initial Coin Offering (ICO). The platform grew rapidly, becoming the largest crypto exchange by trading volume within months, thanks to low fees, a broad range of trading options, and a user-friendly interface. Despite facing regulatory challenges in various countries, CZ successfully expanded Binance globally and diversified its offerings, including DeFi, NFTs, and blockchain education.
Today, CZ is one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in the crypto industry, advocating for blockchain technology to promote financial freedom and inclusion worldwide.