Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) made significant assessments about the future of the cryptocurrency sector, US regulations, and his personal experiences in a recent interview. CZ argued that a new era is on the horizon, particularly highlighting the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology.
When asked what he would have done differently looking back, CZ stated that his biggest regret was not completely blocking US users from the platform in Binance’s early days. “If we had closed the doors to the US from day one, we would have avoided many of the legal problems we face today,” CZ said, acknowledging that he should have invested much more in KYC (Know Your Customer) and compliance processes from the outset.
CZ stated that he had a respectful relationship with former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler in the past, and that Gensler had even asked him for lecture videos for his students when he was a professor at MIT, adding that the subsequent lawsuits were surprising to him. However, CZ added that he did not harbor any personal animosity and that he thought these actions may have stemmed from political pressure.
CZ categorically denied allegations that Binance is linked to Iran, stating that the blockchain is transparent and that not a single transaction ID (TXID) has been presented to prove these claims.
He also stated that the Trump family had no secret dealings with crypto projects, and that Binance, as a major exchange, simply listed popular tokens.
CZ predicts that in the future, the vast majority of financial transactions will be handled not by humans, but by artificial intelligence (AI) agents. “AI agents will perform 10,000 times more transactions on behalf of humans,” said CZ, adding that these agents will need programmable currency, which will be provided by blockchain technology.
*This is not investment advice.