Binance founder CZ charges $125 in BNB for messages on ReachMe

“I’ll adjust the price and try to keep it at an optimal level of about 10 messages a day,” CZ said, adding that he had previously raised his fees because he was bombarded with a large number of messages.

Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has launched a new feature called Pay to Reach, which allows users to send him private messages by paying a fee and get a guaranteed response.

CZ first proposed the move in a Binance Square post earlier this month as a response to the large number of messages he receives every day. He said that in theory, the feature will help optimize communication and reduce spam.

CZ’s “paid contact” sparked heated discussion: How much is the crypto mogul’s time worth?

The Pay to Reach system was launched early this morning, enabling users to message CZ and other key opinion leaders (KOLs) directly through the platform ReachMe.io.

The service requires no registration and uses Binance’s BNB token as the transaction currency.

Initially, CZ set the message price at 0.04 BNB, then increased it to 0.1 BNB, and later adjusted it to 0.2 BNB because he received a large number of irrelevant or low-quality messages.

“I was getting spammed with the initial price,” CZ said in the announcement tweet. “Please don’t waste your money like this.”

He added: “I adjust the price and try to keep it at an optimal level of about 10 messages a day.”

CZ’s “paid contact” sparked heated discussion: How much is the crypto mogul’s time worth?

Users who pay the fee can get a response from CZ within five days. If CZ does not respond, the user will receive a 50% refund.

The feature has attracted nearly 70 key opinion leaders (KOLs) to join, who set their own message prices ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 BNB.

As the KOL network continues to expand, the “paid connection” model may be further validated, providing a new way to monetize digital interactions.

Furthermore, CZ promised that all BNB he receives through the feature will be donated to charity.In his original Binance Square post, CZ explained the motivation behind the concept of “paid connections,” saying that the idea stems from optimizing reach rather than time management.

CZ’s “paid contact” sparked heated discussion: How much is the crypto mogul’s time worth?

He mentioned that social media platforms such as LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) also offer similar features, but due to the low entry barriers, spam is rampant.

However, the messaging fee model has also sparked discussions about accessibility, as users who cannot afford the fees may be excluded from the opportunity to communicate with prominent figures in the crypto industry.

While this new system encouraged more serious, productive communication, it also commercialized what had traditionally been free interactions.

Since CZ announced the feature, ReachMe.io has reminded users that it has no official token and warned traders not to buy any tokens claiming to be associated with the platform.

After the launch of the “Paid Contact” feature, BNB prices rose by 0.6% according to Coingecko data, showing the influence of these industry leaders on cryptocurrency prices. However, BNB prices have now fallen back, and according to Coingecko data, its current price is $625.51, down 0.4% from the same period yesterday.