In the world of cryptocurrency, if there’s one person who deserves to be called a “myth,” it’s Changpeng Zhao (CZ).
He is the founder of Binance and one of the richest people in the crypto industry, with a personal fortune once reaching $63 billion.
But the story of this billionaire is not a legend of overnight wealth, but a victory of extreme execution and insight taken step by step.
🧑🏫 The journey from a teacher's son to the world's richest man
CZ was born in an ordinary teacher's family in Jiangsu, China. Later, the whole family immigrated to Canada. When he was young, he studied during the day and worked at McDonald's and gas stations at night to supplement the family income.
His first "regular job" was at Bloomberg, where he began to come into contact with financial systems and trading software.
Eight years later, he quit his job and founded his own financial technology company, Fusion Systems. During this time, he came into contact with cryptocurrency by chance, and his fate changed completely.
🧩 Crypto + Exchange = Binance
He keenly saw the long-term potential of blockchain and quickly combined "crypto assets + trading platform".
In 2017, Binance was born and its ICO raised $15 million in just a few days.
In just 6 months, Binance has become the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Behind this is a systematic thinking that has an extreme control over technical efficiency, product experience, and market trends.
⚖️ Regulatory storm and turning away
As the platform continues to grow in size, regulatory storms are also coming.
From 2023 to 2024, CZ went to court with US regulators many times and was eventually sentenced to four months in prison for "ineffective anti-money laundering."
He said lightly in the interview:
"It wasn't a pleasant experience, but it gave me time to reflect."
Although CZ has stepped down as CEO of Binance, he still holds considerable wealth and has turned his attention to AI, biotechnology and future technology.
🧠 I summarized his most valuable advice and predictions from multiple interviews:
🌱 1. Don’t chase hot spots, but “position yourself for the future”
CZ continues to invest in AI and biotechnology, believing that this is not a short-term narrative, but the core innovation direction for the next 10 years.
Not only does he invest, he also advises everyone to “understand the underlying trends” instead of chasing sentimental swings.
🎯 2. Choose your track and focus on breaking through
“Don’t invest in everything. Pick a few with potential, research them in depth, and hold them for the long term.”
He believes that spreading funds among 100 projects is "speculation" rather than investment.
🛡️ 3. Risk control is more important than making money
“Don’t invest too much at one time, enter the market in batches and manage it in a decentralized manner.”
“The premise of investment is: you can afford to lose it all.”
His risk control philosophy is: "It is a truly good investment if you can sleep well."
✅ Conclusion:
Zhao Changpeng's success is not only a combination of technology and luck, but more importantly, his underlying logic of "foreseeing trends, executing patiently, and strictly controlling risks."
✅He was interested in encryption, so he started Binance
✅He saw the potential of AI and technology, so he started planning ahead
✅He used to be a working boy, now he is the richest man in the cryptocurrency world
If you want to achieve a leap in the next cycle, you might as well listen to the suggestions left by CZ and stand in front of the wind in advance, rather than waiting until it is too late to regret it.
