In 2013, Changpeng Zhao was playing poker with friends when the conversation took an unexpected turn. Someone mentioned #Bitcoin , a strange concept of digital money that didn’t rely on banks. At first, it sounded abstract, but @CZ 's curiosity was sparked.
With a strong background in technology—having built trading systems for the Tokyo Stock Exchange and #Bloomberg CZ couldn’t stop thinking about this new idea. The more he learned, the more convinced he became of Bitcoin's potential. Taking a bold leap, he sold his Shanghai apartment and invested everything he had into Bitcoin.
That decision catapulted CZ into the heart of the crypto world. He joined Blockchain.info as Head of Development, worked alongside early crypto pioneers, and later served as CTO of OKCoin, learning firsthand how exchanges operated.
By 2017, CZ saw an opportunity to build something better. He launched Binance, raising $15 million through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO). In just a few months, #Binance became the world’s largest crypto exchange.
What started as a casual poker game turned into a life-changing moment—one that put CZ on a path to revolutionize the global financial system.
