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Changpeng Zhao Shares Key Moments From Prison Time: Will He Return To Binance?

Despite crypto enthusiasts waiting for Changpeng Zhao's (CZ) return to Binance, he has confirmed his retirement at the Blockchain Week.
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Changpeng Zhao Shares Key Moments From Prison Time: Will He Return To Binance?

After a four-month imprisonment, the former Binance founder, Changpeng Zhao, is adjusting to the outside world. From his social media presence to his first public appearance at the Blockchain Week event in Dubai, he is exciting his followers for the future. More importantly, he is developing questions in many people’s minds about whether he will return to the exchange or not. 

CZ is a very influential personality due to his role in the crypto exchange and supporting the crypto industry. Interestingly, his sentence did not impact his follower’s mindset, as people still follow and seek guidance from him. Even in Dubai, the crowd cheered and greeted him all standing during his welcome. 

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Changpeng Zhao Mentioned Key Moments From Prison Time

The  47-year-old entrepreneur is behind one of the biggest crypto exchanges, Binance. However, with his failure to implement strict anti-money laundering measures, he had to pay a hefty fine of $50 Million with 4 months of imprisonment in May. He finally got out at last month’s end and made his first public appearance on the second day of Binance Blockchain Week, where he also revealed some key moments from his prison time. 

The Hurun Rich List says that Changpeng Zhao is the 16th richest entrepreneur in China, but with this prison experience, CZ calls himself the poorest there, as he had only $200 for canteen food. In these four months, CZ got to evaluate his whole life, and during Blockchain week, he revealed that he got a new perspective on what is important to him.

With four months away from family, friends, and loved ones, his experience was not good. Instead, it was limited in many ways, but he got fond of his inmates.

It’s not good. It’s less fun than now [at the Binance event]. I think the whole experience is just very limiting in a lot of ways, right? Your freedom is taken away and you have nothing to do, so it gives you a lot of time to reflect.

During the interaction with Altcoin Daily founder Austin Arnold, the CZ also said that all of them were nice, but he believes many of them did not deserve to be there, as they only had minor offenses. He is currently helping many with their legal cases and is planning to help them get out of there. 

There were also interesting moments, as the guards asked him for investment advice, particularly on which altcoins to buy. However, with no internet, he could not help anyone with that information.

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Former Binance CEO Do Not Wish To Return To Exchange

Even since Changpeng Zhao’s resignation from the CEO position last year, crypto enthusiasts are waiting for his return. The company is running fine without him, with Richard Teng taking the lead, but many want CZ to return. Even the BNB price performance has been satisfactory, questioning whether his return will make any more significant differences. Many analysts believe that his return could boost the BNB price to new highs. 

During the session, he also talked about the same, revealing that it is not like he cannot return to Binance, but he does not wish to return. Instead, he will focus on education and further investments in the blockchain industry. He revealed that this situation has helped him with early retirement. So, he will now explore the crypto space, blockchain, AI, and biotechnology.  

At the end of the interview, the former Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao, also revealed the crypto market’s future. He believes that the current year is the time of recovery, whereas the 25th will bring further growth. 

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Pooja Khardia

Pooja Khardia is a seasoned crypto content writer with 6+ years of experience in writing, including in blockchain, cryptocurrency, DeFi, and digital finance reporting. In her adventure journey, she is currently working with CoinGape Media and leading their Trending Section. Here, she uses her expertise to deliver analytics, market insights, price predictions, and information on what’s trending in the crypto space, aiming to keep the crypto and web3 community updated with market trends and important insights. Known for a user-centric and straightforward writing style, Pooja is passionate about making crypto easy and accessible. Her writing blends market research with storytelling, helping readers stay ahead in a fast-paced industry. When not behind the keyboard, Pooja embraces her creative side through drawing and crafting. Connect with Pooja on LinkedIn or X.

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