CZ Cracks Down on Sale of 'Followed' X Accounts, Unfollows 384 in Systematic Purge

Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao has issued a stark warning against purchasing X (formerly Twitter) accounts that he follows, emphasizing that his social media interactions hold no commercial value and are not endorsements. In a post on November 10, 2025, Zhao stated, "Don't buy handles that I follow. I will unfollow any sold accounts." He urged users to report such sales directly to him or his team, adding that he follows accounts "randomly" based on supportive, informative, and positive-energy individuals in the community.

The warning came amid reports of a burgeoning market where "CZ-followed" accounts were being sold for up to 20,000 USDT, with some transactions around 3,000 USDT. This practice, described as "digital status currency," raised concerns about accounts falling into the hands of criminals for scams and rug pulls. CZ's response was triggered by community observations, including from an influencer who noted his recent unfollowing spree.

On November 8, 2025, Zhao unfollowed 384 accounts in a single day, marking a shift from sporadic actions to a systematic purge. Investigations by journalist Linwan revealed that the unfollowed accounts included projects Binance had exited, such as BakerySwap, TopGoal, Bundle, KOI, CommEX, and ReachMe, as well as investment fund managers, industry media, and former Binance executives. Notable names unfollowed included Olaf Carlson-Wee of Polychain Capital and Scott Lewis of DeFi Pulse, many of whom had advocated for reduced dependence on Binance.

Community reactions ranged from humor to support, with some users joking about CZ being the "Oprah of follows" while others praised the move for preventing impersonation scams. Analysts speculated that the purge could signal a post-pardon strategic realignment, as Zhao distances himself from legacy assets and focuses on cleaner branding. Despite the unfollowing, his follower count on X grew from 10.1 million to 10.47 million since September, fueling speculation about his potential return to Binance leadership after legal restrictions ease.