CZ Confirms He Won’t Rejoin Binance, Predicts Bullish Run for BTC Despite Dip

Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, has confirmed that he will not return to Binance after rumors of a possible comeback. He also predicted that BTC will see a rise in value, despite its current price drop.

CZ Says No Binance Comeback

In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, the co-founder stated he does not plan to return to his old job at the exchange. Zhao mentioned that leaving his position was difficult at first, but he later became accustomed to it.

“I haven’t really needed to go back. I didn’t really want to. I thought it was a pretty good way for me to step down, away from Binance after seven years,” he said. “I don’t think it’s good for me to go back. I think we should leave room for other strong leaders to grow.”

CZ was indicted in the United States for money laundering in 2023. At the time, he pleaded guilty to the charges of conducting this crime through his influence. Zhao was then sentenced to prison for four months and asked to resign from his role.

However, in October, Trump granted him a presidential pardon freeing him from the bad track record he had in the U.S. The president justified his decision, stating he was unfairly prosecuted.

A candid conversation from Davos – on prison, pardon, and what freedom means going forward.

Full interview on @CNBC with @andrewrsorkin. Focused on building what’s next. pic.twitter.com/x94llJFac2

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) January 25, 2026

Since then, there have been rumours of CZ’s return to Binance. He has, however, come out to say the exchange is in the hands of great leaders.

“I just thought, look; they don’t need a backseat driver today. I’m still a shareholder,” Zhao said. “ I’m just a pretty passive shareholder, and today when I want to give them advice, I just write it on Twitter.”

Zhao Maintains Bullish BTC Prediction for 2026

Changpeng Zhao went on to predict how the crypto market could potentially move in the year. The co-founder projected that Bitcoin could see a supercycle in the next 12 months. This basically means the token could see a long period of continous gains.

He especially made reference to how the coin moves within the four-year cycle. But with the market breaking the trend, CZ believes this could be the next bull year for BTC.

“Normally, Bitcoin follows four-year cycles…But I think this year, given the US being so pro crypto and every other country is kind of following, I do think we will probably break the four-year cycle,” CZ said.

Also, Arthur Hayes shares a similar opinion. He mentioned that the United States may try to prevent the yen from losing value by using dollars to buy the currency. If this happens, he thinks it could be good for Bitcoin.