Binance Labs revealed that former Chinese billionaire and Binance founder Zhao Changpeng (CZ) has returned to work. Although he cannot resume the position of CEO due to a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, he plans to invest in industry projects personally in 2025. Recently, he notably reconciled with billionaire Elon Musk on Twitter and mentioned he has read all versions of Musk's biography.
As Binance's venture capital arm, Binance Labs announced in an article on the last day of 2024 that it will soon operate under a different name and plans to invest in more projects in 2025, specifically listing cryptocurrency, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology as key focus areas.
(Source: Twitter)
The department will also expand its investment scope, including not only primary market transactions but also other transactions, such as liquidity in the secondary market, over-the-counter trading, etc.
Binance Labs also expects that the "underperforming" sectors in 2024, such as gaming, zero-knowledge (ZK) technology, and privacy solutions, will make a comeback in 2025, as they will enter a more advanced stage compared to the previous year.
Additionally, Binance Labs predicts that emerging fields such as decentralized science, real-world assets, stablecoins, and AI agents will continue to perform well in 2025, as these areas are already ready to develop further than now.
In the post, Binance Labs mentioned that Zhao Changpeng has "returned to work" and plans to invest in industry projects personally.
(Source: Twitter)
Binance Labs wrote: "As Zhao Changpeng returns to work and spends significant time on industry investments, he is eager to connect with existing and new founders and engage with projects on a personal level."
Currently observing discussions within the crypto community, many believe this is a sign that Zhao Changpeng may return to Binance exchange in a less formal capacity. However, Binance may simply be hinting that Zhao Changpeng is involved in emerging areas of the crypto industry, such as AI and biotechnology, thereby increasing their chances of upgrading in 2025.
In his first public interview after being released from prison, Zhao Changpeng expressed interest in mentoring new entrepreneurs in the crypto space, focusing on his two main projects: the blockchain education initiative Giggle Academy and investments in blockchain, AI, and biotechnology.
Zhao Changpeng has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of returning to Binance or leading any type of project.
In 2024 alone, Binance Labs invested in 46 projects, 14 of which are built on the Binance Coin (BNB) chain and incubated projects. The venture capital arm stated that 20% of its investments come from BNB-based projects. Meanwhile, the other 32 projects come from direct investments. Among the 46 projects invested in by Binance Labs, 10 belong to decentralized finance (DeFi), 7 to the AI sector, 7 to the Bitcoin ecosystem, 4 from the re-staking field, 3 from the gaming sector, 2 from ZK technology, 2 from RWA, and another 2 from consumer applications.
On December 12, 2024, Zhao Changpeng retweeted news about Binance's involvement in Musk's acquisition of Twitter, emphasizing that Binance invested $500 million in the deal, writing, "Glad to contribute to the Twitter acquisition." Musk promptly replied, "Thank you," and refocused on Zhao Changpeng's Twitter account.
This is seen by the market as an icebreaker in their relationship.
In a Sunday post, Musk discussed his views on whether humanity should land on Mars or the Moon. He believes that humanity should go directly to Mars, as landing on the Moon would be a distraction. Orbital mass is a key metric, followed by the surface mass of Mars. Orbital mass needs to reach a million tons per year to establish a self-sustaining colony on Mars.
Zhao Changpeng then intentionally engaged in conversation, linking Musk's perspective to the cryptocurrency market with the term "To the moon," which represents a surge in token prices.
"That's it, Musk says the price is a distraction, keep building."
(Source: Twitter)
In response to community questions, Zhao Changpeng also revealed that he has read all versions of Musk's biography and, moreover, has read many biographical books. He believes this is the best way to learn, and he is still working hard on writing his book.
(Source: Twitter)
As Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the elected President of the United States on January 20, the market is focused on whether Zhao Changpeng can return more deeply to the crypto industry and create a more promising outlook for Binance in the U.S.