C hangpeng Zhao, widely known as "CZ," is a Chinese-Canadian cryptocurrency executive who founded and led Binance, which grew to become the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. Born in China, he moved to Canada as a teenager. With a background in computer science, he worked on trading systems in Tokyo and New York before moving to Shanghai, where he became deeply involved in the emerging crypto scene.

He founded Binance in 2017, and through a combination of savvy marketing, low trading fees, and the launch of its own native token (BNB), the exchange experienced explosive growth, quickly surpassing its rivals. As CEO, CZ became one of the most powerful and influential figures in the crypto world. However, the company's rapid and largely unregulated growth attracted intense scrutiny from financial regulators worldwide. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws, agreeing to step down as CEO of Binance and pay a substantial personal fine as part of a larger settlement between the company and the U.S. government.