Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, founder of Binance, is set to release his 300-page memoir in late February or early March 2026. The book, self-published in both English and Chinese, will provide a complete account of his personal and professional journey, including never-before-shared details about his four-month prison sentence. CZ confirmed the release window in a social media post on January 25, stating, "There is nothing to hide. More details in the upcoming book."
All proceeds from the memoir will be donated to charity, with CZ emphasizing, "Not trying to make money from the book." The Chinese version may be titled "" (translated as "A Life with Binance" or "Binance Life"), but CZ clarified this is unrelated to any cryptocurrency token or memecoin, posting, "Just to get this out there publicly… This is not related to any meme tokens or listings."
The memoir will cover his time in prison, with CZ confirming to a follower, "Yes, it's all in there." Zhao was sentenced in late 2023 after pleading guilty to violating U.S. anti-money laundering rules. He served four months at the Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc I, and was released in September 2024. He received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in October 2025.
In related news from his appearance at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, CZ firmly ruled out returning to lead Binance. He stated, "I haven't really needed to go back. I didn't really want to… I don't think it's good for me to go back. I think we should leave room for strong leaders to grow." His current involvement is minimal, revealing, "When I want to give them advice, I just write it on Twitter."
He detailed his prison experience, describing a "pretty brutal" strip search on his first day. His first cellmate was serving 30 years for double murder. Regarding the pardon process, Zhao said he applied after major media publications suggested he should receive one. He never met Trump directly, calling the process "like a black box."
CZ's current focus is on Giggle Academy (a free education platform), working with YZLabs, mentoring BNB Chain founders, and advising governments on crypto regulation. He said, "I also spent quite a lot of time talking with about a half about a dozen governments about you know how to regulate crypto, how to do tokenization, how to do stable coins."
Notably, Zhao predicted a "super cycle" for Bitcoin in 2026 that could break its historical four-year pattern, citing a pro-crypto stance in the U.S. and other countries. He also disclosed his personal holdings: "I don't trade at all… I just hold Bitcoins. I hold BNB."
The pardon has drawn opposition from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed concerns about "the integrity of our justice system," while Representative Maxine Waters called it "an appalling but unsurprising reflection of his presidency." In response, CZ's attorney, Teresa Goody Guillén, dismissed corruption allegations as "false statements."
