So, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the guy who basically turned Binance into the Amazon of crypto, spilled the tea on how he went from “Who’s this Bitcoin thing?” to “I’m richer than most countries.” Spoiler alert: it started with a poker game in Shanghai, because of course it did. No Wall Street suits here-just a guy, some chips, and a friend who was like, “Dude, Bitcoin is gonna be huge.” And another friend who was like, “Bet your life savings on it.” Classic.
CZ’s Bitcoin Origin Story: A Tale of Poker, FOMO, and Bad Decisions (That Paid Off)
According to CZ’s chat with the All-In podcast, he first heard about Bitcoin in 2013, back when he was just a junior partner at some software firm in Shanghai. His buddy Ron Tao (yes, that’s his real name) was like, “CZ, you gotta check out this Bitcoin thing.” CZ, being the overthinker we all are, took six months to wrap his head around it. “Back then, there was this Bitcoin forum and… that’s it,” he said. Truly, the Wild West of crypto.
Then enters Bobby Lee, who was basically the crypto hype man of 2013. He didn’t sugarcoat it-he told CZ to dump 10% of his net worth into Bitcoin. “You’ll either lose it all or double your money,” he said. CZ, probably sweating through his polo shirt, decided to risk it. Because, you know, what’s life without a little financial panic?
By the time CZ finally “got it,” Bitcoin had already skyrocketed from $70 to $1,000. His reaction? “I’m too late.” Classic FOMO. But instead of crying into his ramen, he decided to sell his Shanghai apartment to buy Bitcoin. Yes, you read that right. He traded a roof over his head for digital coins. And then the market tanked. “I bought at $800, then $600, then $400,” he said. Basically, he averaged down like a champ. Or a masochist. You decide.
JUST IN: ASIA’S RICHEST MAN TALKS ABOUT HOW HE MADE OVER $80 BILLION ON #BITCOIN AND CRYPTO
“YOU WILL ALWAYS FEEL LATE TO BTC.”
– The Bitcoin Historian (@pete_rizzo_) February 10, 2026
But CZ wasn’t done. He went full-on crypto, working at Blockchain.info and OKCoin before building Binance. Because, you know, one good gamble deserves another. Today, his net worth is somewhere between “holy crap” and “are you kidding me?” depending on who’s counting. Forbes says $78.8 billion. Bloomberg says $52.2 billion. Either way, he’s not eating ramen anymore.
Oh, and let’s not forget the social proof. CZ went to a Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas in 2013 and was like, “Wait, these aren’t drug lords-they’re just nerds!” Shoutout to Vitalik Buterin and Charlie Lee for being there and making crypto look less sketchy.
So, there you have it. CZ’s journey from poker night to crypto kingpin is basically a sitcom waiting to happen. Moral of the story? If you’re gonna sell your house for Bitcoin, make sure you’re CZ. Otherwise, maybe just stick to the stock market.
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2026-02-11 21:11