Last updated on March 11th, 2026 at 03:05 pm
Quick Breakdown
- CZ says Binance has grown stronger since his exit, surpassing 300 million users
- He remains a passive shareholder, offering advice only publicly
- Zhao predicts Bitcoin could enter a super cycle, potentially ending the four-year pattern
Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao says the world’s largest crypto exchange has continued to grow smoothly since his exit, insisting the company no longer needs his day-to-day involvement.
Zhao pleaded guilty in November 2023 to failing to maintain an effective anti–money laundering program at Binance and was later sentenced to four months in prison, alongside a ban from working at the exchange.
A candid conversation from Davos – on prison, pardon, and what freedom means going forward.
Full interview on @CNBC with @andrewrsorkin. Focused on building what’s next. pic.twitter.com/x94llJFac2
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) January 25, 2026
He was controversially pardoned by US President Donald Trump in October, sparking scrutiny from US lawmakers over Binance’s alleged links to Trump-affiliated crypto ventures, claims Trump denied, saying he did not know Zhao personally.
Speaking recently, Zhao said Binance has not “missed a beat” since his departure, pointing to rising user numbers and market share under the leadership of current CEO Richard Teng and co-founder Yi He.
In a December open letter, Teng and Yi revealed Binance’s global user base had surpassed 300 million, with total trading volume reaching $34 trillion in 2024.
“I just thought, look they don’t need a backseat driver today,”
Zhao said.
“I’m still a shareholder, but a pretty passive one. When I want to give advice now, I just post it on Twitter.”
Bitcoin ‘super cycle’ could emerge in 2026
Despite a recent pullback in crypto prices, Zhao remains bullish on Bitcoin’s long-term outlook, predicting a potential “super cycle” within the next year.
Bitcoin, which has historically followed a four-year boom-and-bust cycle tied to its halving events, could be entering a new phase, Zhao argued. He suggested growing institutional adoption and increasingly pro-crypto policies in the US could disrupt the traditional pattern.
“Normally, every four years there’s an all-time high and then a drop,”
Zhao said.
“But with the US now very pro-crypto and other countries following, I think we could break that cycle.”
A supercycle refers to a prolonged period of strong growth driven by structural shifts in fundamentals, rather than short-term market speculation, according to CoinMarketCap.
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