Changpeng Zhao reveals his personal autobiography titled "Binance Life." Will it include details about his imprisonment?

In the rapidly changing world of cryptocurrency, no one’s name has caused more market ripples than Binance founder Zhao Changpeng (CZ). Although he has stepped down as CEO and is facing legal challenges in the United States, his every move remains a focal point for the community. Recently, Zhao Changpeng personally revealed that his upcoming memoir might be titled “Binance Life” in Chinese. This news not only instantly ignited speculative enthusiasm in the market but also sparked endless imagination about the book’s content, especially regarding his highly discussed “prison storm” period.

Binance Life

On January 8, 2026, Zhao Changpeng posted that, in order to prevent information leaks or distortions, he decided to proactively disclose the proposed book title. He admitted that he appreciates the “stickiness” of the phrase “Binance Life” and its meme culture appeal behind it. However, he also clarified, “This has nothing to do with any meme coins or listing arrangements. I do not hold any meme coin called Binance Life, nor do I plan to hold any.”

Additionally, he reserved the right to change the book title at any time and revealed that the English version will have a completely different name. Zhao plans to self-publish the book, releasing both Chinese and English editions simultaneously within 4 to 6 weeks, and pledged to donate all royalties to charity, emphasizing that the publication is not for profit.

Despite Zhao’s efforts to distance himself from the project, the market’s reaction was honest. Once the news broke, the existing meme coin with the same name, “$Binance Life,” surged in price, with a short-term increase of over 20%. This scene once again confirms the enormous power of celebrity effect in the crypto world—even unintentional remarks or outright denials can become catalysts for speculation, staging a meme carnival of “believers always believing.”

More importantly, Zhao has completed editing the memoir and confirmed that it will mention details of his time in prison. This news undoubtedly answers the biggest question from the outside world and adds high anticipation for this yet-to-be-released autobiography. From a teenage part-time worker at McDonald’s to the founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and then to a prisoner—this dramatic life turn is bound to be one of the most captivating chapters in the book.

Double-Sided Compass

While Zhao Changpeng steps back from daily management, another key figure at Binance—co-founder He Yi—is influencing the company’s operational style and community culture as co-CEO. Her public image and the market’s perception of Binance form an interesting, even contradictory, contrast.

In an in-depth interview, He Yi downplayed her CEO title, emphasizing that she values her role as “Chief Customer Officer” more. She upholds a user-centric approach, believing that all of the company’s technology and products ultimately serve people. Regarding Binance Alpha (a platform for discovering early potential projects), she used a vivid analogy: “Supermarket promotion science.” She said, “Eggs and toilet paper are not white-haired,” implying Binance Alpha is like handing out free samples at the supermarket entrance—using user-interest “eggs” (potential projects and airdrops) to attract a large user base. In her view, Binance’s long journey has only reached “Step 2.5,” and it still needs to build an efficient team capable of self-driven, continuous innovation.

However, another interpretation circulates within the community, a sharp observation dubbed “Shandong School of Crypto,” which suggests that despite Binance’s official listing rules, the real “hidden rules” involve deciphering leadership preferences, especially He Yi’s personal dynamics. The classic example of this is a horseback riding photo He Yi posted on New Year’s Day 2026, with the caption “I rode in.” Soon after, a meme coin called “I Rode In” appeared on Binance Alpha.

Critics argue that this is more “efficient” than the controversial “Girlfriend Coin” incident in the past. It doesn’t require specific relationships or利益 transfer, just an atmosphere of “leaders don’t need to speak, subordinates must understand.” When a platform’s trendsetter becomes a certain executive’s social media, does flattery become more successful than actual work? This question hits the core of some crypto ecosystems and creates a strong tension between He Yi’s advocated “user-centric” culture and the community’s perception of “He Yi-centric” phenomena.

Path to Compliance

While the market buzzes about the founder’s autobiography and meme coin culture, Binance is quietly steering toward a broader, more regulated domain. On January 8, 2026, Binance announced the launch of its first regulated traditional finance (TradFi) perpetual contracts, with initial products being gold (XAUUSDT) and silver (XAGUSDT).

This move has profound strategic significance: Innovating within a compliance framework: The TradFi perpetual contracts are provided by Binance’s entity Nest Exchange Limited, based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The company is fully regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), marking a solid step forward in Binance’s mainstream financial compliance journey. Bridging traditional and crypto worlds: These contracts are settled in stablecoin USDT, cleverly combining traditional safe-haven assets (gold, silver) with crypto infrastructure. This allows crypto traders to access traditional financial markets 24/7 and provides traditional finance participants a regulated platform to explore digital assets. Meeting diversified investment needs: Amid increasing global economic uncertainty, demand for safe-haven assets like gold and silver is rising. Binance’s move aligns with market trends, offering users powerful tools for hedging, diversification, and portfolio strengthening across asset classes.

In some sense, this launch demonstrates Binance’s mature and steady side, contrasting sharply with the chaotic, speculative meme coin market. It indicates Binance’s ambition is not just to dominate the crypto world but to become a comprehensive financial service platform that integrates traditional finance and digital assets within a global regulatory framework.

Multiple Narratives

Overall, Binance currently presents an extremely complex and multi-layered picture. On one hand, its founder Zhao Changpeng is about to reveal his personal journey from peak to trough through the autobiography “Binance Life,” whose title itself has become a powerful market narrative. On the other hand, the company’s core leadership advocates a user-first culture but also faces community skepticism and ridicule over its “rule by man” style.

Meanwhile, Binance is embracing regulation with unprecedented strength, extending its business into the heart of traditional finance. These three seemingly parallel threads—personal history, internal cultural debates, and external strategic expansion—together sketch a complete portrait of a crypto giant at a critical turning point.

“Binance Life” may not only be Zhao Changpeng’s memoir but also reflect the pains, contradictions, and choices experienced by Binance and the entire crypto industry as they bid farewell to the wild west and move toward maturity and compliance. The upcoming revelation of prison details will satisfy public curiosity, but more worth pondering is how this company will navigate its complex internal and external narratives and steer toward its envisioned “long-term legacy.”