Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) recently revealed details of his imprisonment following Binance's settlement with U.S. authorities, and shared his views on the future of the cryptocurrency industry.
In an interview with Farouk Radio at the Token 2049 conference, Zhao openly discussed his prison experience, stating that it brought him immense mental and emotional stress and reshaped his life priorities.
CZ Opens Up About Prison Experience: Mental Stress Far Greater Than Physical Hardship
Zhao described being held in a low-security prison in the U.S., but due to his non-U.S. citizen status, he was placed with violent offenders, unlike the minimum-security facility he expected. "My cellmate was sentenced to 30 years for killing two people," he said. "I was scared...the prison environment was not good." He emphasized that the mental stress was far greater than the physical hardship, especially worrying about being detained longer than the expected four months, describing the experience as being like "Hotel California, you can check in, but you can never leave."
This prison experience made Zhao re-evaluate his life values. "Health is the most important, followed by family," he said. "You don't miss money, you don't miss work, you miss your family." He is now focused on mentoring entrepreneurs, building educational platforms, and spending more quality time with his family, even deliberately reducing his phone usage.
During the interview, Zhao also shared his views on the current state of the cryptocurrency industry, specifically mentioning meme coins, Real World Assets (RWAs), and Decentralized Science (DeSci). He believes that while meme coins attract a lot of retail attention, "99.9 percent of meme coins will fail" and distract people from projects with real utility. In contrast, he is optimistic about the prospects of AI, DeSci, and RWAs, believing that AI will be combined with blockchain technology, calling "AI a post-blockchain technology," and that DeSci can effectively fund scientific research through smart contracts, accelerating drug development and biological research.
Regarding the shift in U.S. government policy, Zhao expressed cautious optimism about the current administration. "I didn't expect the U.S. to make a 180-degree turn in 100 days," he said. "The president supports cryptocurrency, and it's not just lip service, but actual action. This changes everything." He denied the Wall Street Journal's report that he cooperated with authorities to reduce his sentence and said he had applied for a presidential pardon, but the outcome was beyond his control. Finally, Zhao made it clear that he will not return to the Binance leadership team, stating, "That chapter is closed."
