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Changpeng Zhao
ConvictedОснователь, экс-CEO
@cz_binance·
@cpzhao·
@cpzhaoChangpeng Zhao, commonly known as CZ, is a Canadian businessman born in 1977 in Jiangsu, China. He emigrated to Canada as a teenager with his family and later obtained Canadian citizenship. Zhao earned a BSc in computer science from McGill University in Montreal.
Zhao pleaded guilty on November 21, 2023, to one count of willfully causing Binance to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (case CR23-179-RAJ). He resigned as CEO, paid a $50 million fine, and was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024 (served). Binance separately pleaded guilty and paid over $4.3 billion. No additional fraud convictions or user-loss allegations beyond the AML violations were documented in the plea.
Full breakdown (5)
Pleaded guilty to willfully causing Binance to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program.
Binance pleaded guilty to BSA, MSB registration, and IEEPA violations as part of the same matter.
ПРИЗНАЛ ВИНУ (AML/BSA, 2023): 4 мес тюрьмы (отбыл 2024), штраф $50 млн, Binance — $4.3 млрд; ПОМИЛОВАН Трампом (окт 2025) (источник: редакционная база персон v6 — требует проверки)
Consistent public identity across court records, Wikipedia, Forbes, and LinkedIn with matching name, aliases, and biography.
Convicted via guilty plea in documented federal case CR23-179-RAJ for BSA violation.
Built Binance into largest exchange; prior roles at Blockchain.info and OKCoin verified in multiple sources.
Public guilty plea and resignation; limited disclosure on personal finances or post-conviction activities.
Core facts corroborated across DOJ releases, Wikipedia, Forbes, and LinkedIn profiles.
Scores are derived from public records and sources. Higher is more trustworthy. Always verify against the cited evidence.
| Entity / person | Type | Relationship | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binance | Exchange | Co-founder Co-founded Binance in July 2017 and served as CEO until November 2023, building it into the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume through rapid product expansion including spot, derivatives, and BNB Chain. | 2017–2023 | Past |
BBijieTech | Company | Founder Founded in 2015 as a provider of exchange systems and software, later supplying talent and infrastructure to Binance. | 2015–2017 | Past |
| OKCoinokcoin.com | Exchange | CTO Served as CTO from 2014 to 2015, overseeing development and launch of futures trading platform. | 2014–2015 | Past |
| Blockchain.com | Exchange | Core developer Joined as head of development in late 2013, contributing to the early team building Blockchain.info wallet and services. | 2013–2014 | Past |
| USDtb | Coin | Other | — | Past |
 BNB Beacon Chain | Network | Other | — | Past |
 BNB Smart Chain | Network | Other | — | Past |
 opBNB | Network | Other | — | Past |
 Aster | Coin | Other | — | Past |
 Flare | Coin | Other | — | Past |
 Endurance | Network | Other | — | Past |
 BNB | Coin | Other | — | Past |
 Binance US | Exchange | Other | — | Past |
 Coins.ph | Exchange | Other | — | Past |
 Vana | Network | Other | — | Past |
| Binance | Exchange | Founder Founder, ex-CEO | — | Past |
 OKX | Exchange | Other | — | Past |
 BNB Chainbnbchain.org | Exchange | Founder Founder, ex-CEO | — | Past |
 Flow | Network | Other | — | Past |
 Genius | Coin | Other | — | Past |
 VeChain | Coin | Other | — | Past |
| Person | shared: USDtb Сооснователь; co-CEO (с 3 дек 2025) вместе с Тенгом; экс-глава маркетинга и Chief Customer Service | — | Clear |
XW Xin Wang | Person | shared: Binance Independent Board Member of Binance | — | Clear |
| Person | shared: Binance Former US Senator and Binance Global Advisory Board Chair | — | Clear |
 | Person | shared: Binance Chairman of the Board at Binance | — | Clear |
 | Person | shared: VeChain Сооснователь, лицо проекта | — | Clear |
SL Sunny Lu | Person | shared: VeChain Co-founder and CEO of VeChain | — | Clear |
 | Person | Documented connection CEO (после CZ) | — | Clear |
- Joined Blockchain.infoDec 2013Became head of development at Blockchain.info.
- CTO at OKCoinJun 2014Joined OKCoin as CTO and launched futures trading.
- Founded BijieTechSep 2015Started exchange systems provider BijieTech.
- Launched BinanceJul 2017Co-founded and launched Binance exchange.
- Guilty plea and resignationNov 2023Pleaded guilty to BSA violation and resigned as Binance CEO.
- Sentenced to prisonApr 2024Sentenced to four months in federal prison.
In the news126
Changpeng Zhao: Despite Bear Market, Abundant Capital Seeks Investment Opportunities
CZ Says Bear Market Money is Hunting, Social Capital Founder Says Skip AI Chips
Bitcoin Fear Reaches Record High as Coldcard Exploit Shakes Confidence in Self-Custody
BNB Chain Sues Ex-Employee Over A Tutorial Wallet That Became a Meme Coin
After $70 Million Heist, CZ Issues Critical Security Prescription: Do This to Protect Your Funds
Binance founder CZ calls for wallet diversification after $70 million Coldcard exploit$70 Million Gone in 40 Minutes: CZ Weighs in on Coldcard Fallout
Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao Expresses Support for All Memecoins, Plans to Trade Some for Testing