Changpeng Zhao (born 10 September 1977), commonly known as "CZ", is a Chinese-Canadian business executive and the founder of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. A former developer for Bloomberg Tradebook, he launched Binance in 2017 and rapidly scaled it into a crypto behemoth. In November 2023, Zhao stepped down as CEO and pleaded guilty to money laundering violations in a settlement with the US Department of Justice, agreeing to pay a $50 million fine (while Binance paid $4.3 billion). Despite his legal troubles, he remains a central figure in the crypto world and one of its wealthiest individuals.