Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao, founder and majority shareholder of Binance and Binance.US, is on a mission to redefine his public image in the United States after stepping down as CEO, serving a four-month prison sentence, and receiving a presidential pardon. In a recent interview with CoinDesk, CZ expressed his desire to correct misunderstandings about himself and Binance. He emphasized that he does not intend to take an executive role or join formal boards, preferring to informally advise companies he has invested in, such as Giggle Academy and YZi Labs. CZ argued that allowing Binance.US to tap into Binance Global's liquidity would significantly improve trading conditions for US consumers, who currently face higher slippage and fees compared to international markets. He stressed that for the US to become the global crypto capital, it must enhance liquidity. Despite being the largest shareholder of both entities, CZ maintains that Binance and Binance.US operate independently with separate leadership and teams. He also disclosed that he does not discuss Binance matters at home with Yi He, his partner and Binance co-CEO. CZ monitors high-level metrics like user count, trading volume, and bitcoin price rather than detailed financial statements.

Key facts

• CZ wants to reintroduce himself to the US after prison and pardon.
• He argues Binance.US should access Binance Global liquidity to cut costs.
• CZ prefers informal advising roles over executive or board positions.
• Binance and Binance.US operate independently despite shared ownership.
• He tracks bitcoin price and user metrics, not financial statements.

KeyAudit data perspective