Changpeng Zhao, founder and former CEO of Binance, sits down with CoinDesk’s Jennifer Sanasie for one of his most candid conversations. CZ talks about growing up in an immigrant family, why he's never taken on real debt, the four months he spent in U.S. prison, the $2 million he's quietly donated to prison reform, and why he believes "there's no delete button" for crypto. 

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Check out CoinDesk's latest episode of Public Keys from the NYSE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75LrBmSScvY&list=PLZWrc_gWChqnim-9ZbIKZTOrPA7IgFKVR&index=1

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Register now for CoinDesk’s Policy and Regulation event on September 22, 2026: https://policy-regulation.coindesk.com/.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Welcome to CoinDesk Spotlight

00:20 When CZ First Realized Money Mattered

03:08 A Frugal Mindset and Why He Never Took On Debt

04:35 His Father's Journey to Canada

06:30 Freedom of Money vs. Financial Freedom

08:28 Why CZ Wants to Spend More Time in the U.S.

11:52 Binance, U.S. Rivals, and Regulatory Pressure

14:39 Losing Trust - and Why the U.S. Constitution Is a "Great White Paper"

17:17 The Next Administration and the CLARITY Act

19:11 Reflecting on 2022: Was Crypto Too "Drunk" on Hype?

21:36 How AI and Crypto Are Merging

25:17 Crypto's 2026 Challenges

28:03 Inside CZ's Four Months in Prison

31:18 Why CZ Donated $2M to Prison Reform

32:57 What Inmates and Guards Asked Him About Crypto

36:26 Writing His Book: "A Conversation With Myself"

39:15 The Weaknesses and Strengths Prison Revealed

41:17 CZ's Advice to Founders

44:22 Why Most of His Wealth Is Still in BNB

45:31 Binance's Largest Shareholder, But No Longer Running It

48:56 On Legacy: "Be Happy With Myself"