In an hour-long interview, Changpeng Zhao, founder and former CEO of Binance, opens up about his prison experience, the memecoin crypto craze, and his future plans. He shares personal insights on everything from political agendas to the challenges of running Binance.
Here is my full interview with @cz_binance!
Had the chance to sit with the founder of @Binance last week to talk about the state of crypto, the future, Donald Trump, prison and more.
Timestamps:
07:00 – What did you learn from your time in the memecoin trenches?
10:02 – What… pic.twitter.com/6c1lMog2qq— Farokh (Perma/Bull) (@farokh) May 5, 2025
DISCOVER: Top Solana Meme Coins to Buy in May 2025
CZ Talks Crypto Memecoins, Prison Lessons, and His Future Beyond Binance?
After coming back from prison and missing the initial memecoin evolution, CZ, as he often goes by, calls memecoin crypto trenching a hard yet interesting experience. He also shows empathy for memecoin traders, acknowledging how they stay in group chats all day long following new memecoin launches and market activity. Well, thanks, CZ.
He mentions feeling somewhat tricked when people encouraged him to post his dog’s name and photo, which led to the launch of thousands of Broccoli Coins.
Reflecting on his prison experience, CZ shares, “It made me realize what’s important: health is the most important, and second is family.” This experience made him much more cautious. CZ recognized how political agendas can personally affect him, even though he was never in tune with them.
He states that while he doesn’t wish prison time on anyone, Sam Bankman-Fried deserves it due to his lies and deception. He still emphasizes empathy for anyone in prison, acknowledging that it’s not an easy experience.
CZ also points out that U.S. prison sentences tend to be long and often don’t offer much in terms of rehabilitation. Additionally, he mentions how fortunate the crypto industry is to have a U.S. president who is very pro-crypto. Although he notes that he has never personally communicated with Trump.
Ending the interview, he acknowledges that he was lucky to have had a forced retirement. Most people would have said CZ ran out of stamina, but that isn’t true. He adds that he no longer sees himself holding the position of Binance CEO in the future.
DISCOVER: Top 20 Crypto to Buy in May 2025
BONUS: Solaxy, the first-ever Layer 2 solution for Solana, raised $33 million.
There is an increasing need for L2 networks due to the huge congestion on the blockchains that can happen, especially with Solana. As we know, Solana has kept facing congestion from time to time over the last few months.
As the first-ever Solana Layer-2 blockchain, Solaxy directly addresses Solana’s pain points, congestion, failed transactions, and scalability limitations.
Solaxy aims to offload the burden on Solana and unlock the chain’s full potential for users, developers, and investors alike. Given the renewed interest in the meme coin and the Solana ecosystem, it comes at the perfect time.
Solaxy is off to a hot start as a potential low-cap gem, as it can multiply over the years while offering its holders passive income. The presale raised $32.8 million out of $33.6 million. In the current presale round, $SOLX is priced at just $0.001712, and staking offers up to 122% APY. Holders who lock earn high passive income while the coin price can multiply over time.
Presales that quickly raise funds and attract numerous investors often see gains of 5x to 10x after launch and typically earn listings on centralized exchanges. Additionally, smart whales tend to accumulate these types of projects silently. Get your position in the presale now by visiting the website.
For the latest updates on the project, connect with the SOLX community on X and Telegram.
Click here to learn more about the project and participate in the presale.
DISCOVER: Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2025
Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates
Key Takeaways
- He reflects on the challenges and empathy for memecoin traders.
- Prison taught CZ the value of health and family.
- He no longer envisions himself as Binance CEO.
Why you can trust 99Bitcoins
Established in 2013, 99Bitcoin’s team members have been crypto experts since Bitcoin’s Early days.
Weekly Research
100k+Monthly readers
Expert contributors
2000+Crypto Projects Reviewed
Free Bitcoin Crash Course
- Enjoyed by over 100,000 students.
- One email a day, 7 days in a row.
- Short and educational, guaranteed!
Maximize Your Trading With Margex’s 20% Deposit Bonus
‘Buy in May, Get Paid in June?’ – $300K Bitcoin Calls Heat Up, BTC Bull Token Is Locked In
CoinGecko Report Analysis: What Moved Crypto in Q1 2025?
14 Best Crypto Bonuses in 2025 – Top Exchange Offers & Promotions
BingX Launches $10 Risk-Free Copy Trading Voucher for New Users in Exclusive Event
