Binance founder CZ, whose real name is Changpeng Zhao, took the stage at the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai, his first public appearance after serving four months in prison. He was welcomed to thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Following the Binance Founder’s return, he has turned the attention back to himself, his own road to recovery and also to the realisation that he still has a job to do in the crypto space especially with his announcement of an educational platform called Giggle Academy.
Binance Founder CZ’s Return to the Crypto Scene
With attendees filling the packed venue and those live streaming from home, Binance founder CZ stepped on stage to talk about his recent adventures. Zhao certainly does not miss his prison time, saying: “It’s not good.” Reflecting on his time in prison, he said, “Your freedom is taken away, and you have nothing to do, so it gives you a lot of time to reflect.”
He opened up about the challenges he faced while being scrutinized by U.S. law enforcement, which made him the first person to serve jail time for violating the Bank Secrecy Act in connection to a crypto exchange.
Austin Arnold of Altcoin Daily, who moderated the session, got the crowd to laugh by asking, “How was your summer?”. Zhao talked about his personal reflections as well as regulatory challenges in the crypto industry; he also implied that regulatory approaches vary significantly by region.
Educational Ambitions with Giggle Academy
The most exciting part of Zhao’s appearance was his announcement of Giggle Academy, a digital education platform designed to offer vital educational resources for free to the communities who need them the most around the globe.
Giggle Academy would target the almost 800 million adults who cannot read or write, most of them women, and millions of school-age children who do not attend school, he said. Binance founder CZ wants to combat the achievement gap by providing remote learning through technology and free education programs.
As Zhao explained, “Educational apps today primarily supplement existing systems.” Giggle Academy wants to venture into communities with little or no access to formal education institutions. He announced plans that included a considerable shift in focus to social impact projects, and his listeners cheered him on.
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Investing in AI, Biotech & Blockchain
Apart from education, Binance Founder CZ also spoke about his plans to invest in emerging tech, AI, biotech and blockchain projects. His re-entry into the crypto and tech space shows he’s not just interested in fintech but tech in general. One of the biggest takeaways was that Zhao wants to use his influence for more than just business.
Binance’s Roadmap
The two day event kicked off with opening remarks from Zhao’s successor and current Binance CEO, Richard Teng who said “momentum” is the theme for the crypto space in 2025. Teng mentioned that one of the achievements made in the industry was the recent approval of Bitcoin ETFs in the US.
Their approval also means more mainstreaming of crypto, which is big, given CZ and his experiences in courtrooms on regulatory issues in digital finance this year.
Binance Blockchain Week is all about the love for blockchain. With over 4000 attendees and 1 million online viewers, and a potential for innovative application in education and finance, CZ’s re-entry into the public eye has brought attention to his journey and spotlight on regulatory clarity, industry momentum and crypto to make the world a better place.
The Final Word
The crypto community is making space for Zhao again. His new focus on edtech and ethical investments is showing that Binance and Zhao’s vision will continue to move the space forward.
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