Binance Founder CZ Releases Memoir on Crypto Path

Changpeng Zhao, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has released a memoir titled "Freedom of Money" that offers a personal account of his journey from modest beginnings to building one of the world's largest digital asset platforms, amid significant legal and regulatory hurdles.

The 364-page book, published this week with a foreword by Binance co-founder Yi He, traces Zhao's early life in a small village in China before his family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada. There, he worked entry-level jobs such as flipping burgers and washing dishes while pursuing computer science studies. Zhao later advanced in technology roles, including at Bloomberg, where he developed trading systems. His interest in Bitcoin sparked after a casual conversation, leading him to invest heavily, even selling his apartment despite market crashes like the 2014 Mt. Gox collapse. By 2017, he launched Binance with a small team, propelling it to dominance in cryptocurrency trading volume within years.

Zhao attributes much of Binance's success to its role in expanding financial access, particularly for users in developing nations who used the platform to transfer funds, hedge against local currency...