CZ (Changpeng Zhao) — Founder, Binance

**Changpeng Zhao (CZ)** is the founder of **Binance**, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. Born in China, raised in Canada, he worked as a developer at Bloomberg and as CTO at OKCoin before founding Binance in 2017. He built Binance into a global crypto empire within months, but faced increasing regulatory scrutiny globally. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to US money laundering charges and stepped down as CEO, serving a brief prison sentence. Despite this, he remains one of the most influential figures in crypto.\n\nCZ's perspective combines genuine technological vision (decentralized finance, blockchain infrastructure) with hard-won lessons about regulatory compliance — having learned through a $4.3B fine that 'move fast and break things' does not work in financial services.