Binance Blockchain Week 2024 in Dubai got its moment when the exchange’s founder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao took the stage at exactly 03:55 PM local time.

Stepping up not as a Binance exec but as himself, the first thing CZ did was made it clear that despite his exit, he isn’t banned from working at the company. He made sure the audience knew he’s now got two big focus areas: education and investment, specifically in blockchain, AI, and life sciences.

CZ’s transition out of Binance, as he put it, comes from a well-known agreement with the U.S. government. But that deal, he emphasized, is by no means permanent.