Changpeng Zhao
Founder of Binance
Pleaded guilty to US Bank Secrecy Act violations in 2023 and served prison time; Binance paid roughly 4.3 billion dollars in penalties. Pardoned in October 2025. Beware the @czcommunity_erc account, which is not him.
Changpeng Zhao (“CZ”) Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the world by trading volume.
Who they are
Changpeng Zhao, universally known as CZ, founded Binance in 2017 and built it into the dominant global crypto exchange. He is one of the wealthiest and most influential people in the history of the industry.
History
Binance grew explosively after launch, but in November 2023 CZ stepped down as CEO after pleading guilty to United States anti-money-laundering violations. He served roughly four months in prison and paid a personal fine, while Binance paid billions in penalties. He was pardoned by President Trump in October 2025, which fueled speculation about a return.
Notes
- Founded Binance in 2017.
- Stepped down as CEO in November 2023 after a guilty plea to US AML charges.
- Served about four months in prison and was pardoned in October 2025.
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Official links
Links point to accounts we believe are official at time of writing. Always double-check a handle before trusting it. Impersonators are everywhere in crypto.