Changpeng Zhao (CZ)
Web3 / exchanges trading
Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, is a Chinese-Canadian cryptocurrency entrepreneur who founded Binance in 2017 and served as its CEO until stepping down in 2023. Under his leadership, Binance grew to become the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, processing billions of dollars in daily transactions and expanding into derivatives, futures, and blockchain infrastructure services. Despite regulatory challenges and his subsequent guilty plea to money laundering charges in 2023, CZ's influence shaped the centralized exchange landscape and made Binance a dominant platform for retail and institutional crypto trading globally. Example: Binance launched the BNB token, which became one of the top cryptocurrencies by market cap, and developed the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), a blockchain network enabling lower-cost trading and DeFi applications. Why it matters for crypto trading: CZ established Binance as the dominant centralized exchange, setting industry standards for trading features, security infrastructure, and market-making practices. His platform's scale and influence shaped crypto market dynamics, liquidity provision, and institutional adoption patterns that continue affecting how traders access cryptocurrency markets.
Explore the full Web3 Glossary — 2,062+ expert-curated definitions. Need guidance? Talk to our consultants.