Is Changpeng “CZ” Zhao Returning To Binance? Probably Not

Changpeng Zhao, aka CZ, might not return to operations at crypto exchange Binance immediately, he hinted on Monday. Discussions stirred in the crypto community regarding his return to the world’s largest exchange after his pardon by US President Donald Trump.

Changpeng Zhao May Not Return to Binance

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is likely to focus on family office YZi Labs rather than returning to crypto exchange Binance. While reacting to an X post about a Caixin report stating CZ’s plans to focus more energy on the investment business of YZi Labs rather than immediately returning to the exchange, he said “It sounds quite reasonable.

Spotlighting more on transparency, Changpeng Zhao confirmed that he was last interviewed in September, “not recently.” He has not done any interviews with the media or persons since his pardon by US President Donald Trump.

The post also highlighted invitations from multiple governments to serve as an official advisor to the cryptocurrency industry. Notably, he is a crypto advisor for multiple countries, including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan. He was with Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov during the national stablecoin and CBDC launch by the country on BNB Chain.

Odds of Changpeng Zhao’s Comeback to Binance Slip on Polymarket

In the past week, significant developments stirred speculation around Changpeng Zhao’s potential return to the world’s leading crypto exchange by December 31. The most notable was the presidential pardon granted to CZ by U.S. President Donald Trump on October 23.

Following this, betting on Polymarket saw a massive increase, with odds of CZ returning reaching 82%. However, it has now slipped to 32%, with “No” bets still leading at 68%. This pardon intensified speculations about his possible comeback.

BNB Price Reclaims Above $1,150

BNB price jumped more than 3% in the past 24 hours, with the price currently trading at $1,156. The 24-hour low and high are $1,120 and $1,161, respectively. A 62% increase in trading volume in the last 24 hours has supported the rise in prices amid massive interest among traders.

CoinGlass data showed massive buying in the derivatives market. At the time of writing, the total BNB futures open interest jumped 8% to $1.84 billion in the last 24 hours. BNB futures OI on Binance, OKX, and Bybit climbed more than 7%, 3%, and 2.60%, respectively. This signals bullish sentiment among derivatives traders.