Yi He Wins Most Innovative Web3 Founder at CoinGape Web3 Innovation Awards 2026

48 mins ago

By Anas Hassan

Managing Editor

Expertise : Writing, Editorial, Market Analysis, Crypto, Product Engineering

Anas is a crypto editor at Coingape with 5+ years of experience covering cryptocurrency markets, exchanges, and digital asset infrastructure. His expertise spans crypto exchange reviews, trading platforms, crypto-friendly banks, and neobanks, with a strong focus on security, compliance, fees, and user experience. Anas applies rigorous editorial standards and data-driven analysis to ensure Coingape’s rankings and reviews are accurate, unbiased, and aligned with real-world investor needs.

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CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.

Yi He Named Most Innovative Web3 Founder at CoinGape Web3 Innovation Awards 2026

Yi He Receives Most Innovative Web3 Founder Award

Yi He was chosen as the Co-CEO of Binance by CEO Richcard Teng in December 2025, due to her expertise in building Binance and her impact on the overall blockchain industry.

In 2014, she found Changpeng Zhao and they went on to launch Binance in 2017, which is one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world.

Yi He has been an advocate of a user-first approach throughout Binance’s development. She believes that, new hires, no matter their role, must spend time on customer support, so that teams are aware of their needs before being assigned more duties.

Her leadership has additionally been instrumental in Binance’s growth. The company returned to the Philippines earlier this month when regulators granted the company permission to start testing under the Philippine Strategic Regulatory Sandbox.

Binance has recently achieved $1 billion in assets under management for its Stocks offering, highlighting the increasing demand for global equities on the platform.

Supporting Innovation Beyond Binance

Yi He keeps on helping to promote innovation beyond Binance.

In addition to the exchange, Yi He is also the CEO of YZi Labs, the investment firm that replaced Binance Labs after the firm re-branded in January 2025.

YZi Labs has over $10 billion in assets and over 300 companies in its portfolio, according to company data. The company supports the growth of new technologies through financial and technical support.

Yi He was on the list of the top 100 most powerful women earlier this year, and is the first crypto-native executive to be included.

This new award by the CoinGape further solidifies her status as one of most influential web3 founders.

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Why Trust CoinGape

CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights Read more… to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.