Binance Founder CZ’s Memoir Launches in Taiwan

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, looks back on his entrepreneurial journey in his memoir “Binance Life,” using his experiences in Taiwan to trace personal connections that predated his rise to fame. His appearance in flip-flops at the 2018 Asia Blockchain Summit (ABS) earned him the nickname “flip-flop mogul,” an episode that came to symbolize how Taiwan’s crypto community witnessed Binance’s ascent.

Following the memoir’s recent publication, CZ disclosed for the first time that he had dated two Taiwanese women in his early years. He also chronicled his journey from everyday boxed meals to the cover of Forbes. BlockTempo’s founder separately wrote about the 2018 summit, prompting CZ to repost the article and reply that it was about “lighting one small spark at a time.” The episode involved no transaction or investment amount.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, is a major figure in the global crypto industry. He pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering requirements and stepped down as chief executive on November 21, 2023, while Binance agreed to pay about $4.3 billion in a settlement. CZ was later sentenced to four months in prison, and his journey from building the exchange to incarceration forms the central backdrop of the memoir.

CZ recently confirmed in a response to a user on social media that the tentative Chinese title is ‘幣安人生,’ while the English title is ‘Freedom of Money.’ The 364-page book will revisit his guilty plea, imprisonment and Binance’s turbulent period and will be self-published. He has pledged to donate all proceeds from print and digital sales to charity, regardless of the final amount.