Changpeng Zhao, the co-founder and former CEO of Binance, is set to make his first public appearance after being released from prison in late September.
CZ, as he’s widely known, confirmed via Twitter on October 10 that he will attend the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai on October 30-31 in a personal capacity. This appearance will mark his return to the public eye following his conviction for violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws.
“I will be attending the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai on Oct 30–31, in my personal capacity. It’s one of the biggest web3 events of the year. See you there,” Zhao tweeted, stirring up speculation within the Web3 community about what he may say during the event.
Many are curious about the former Binance chief’s thoughts on the future of cryptocurrency, given the legal challenges he recently faced.
CZ spent four months in prison for his role in Binance’s violation of U.S. anti-money laundering regulations. The company paid a massive $4.3 billion settlement, while Zhao was personally fined $50 million and agreed to step down as CEO. As part of the settlement, he is banned for life from managing Binance, although he still retains a 90% stake in the company, keeping his net worth at over $61 billion.
Despite his legal troubles, CZ remains a respected figure in the crypto world, with influential voices such as Tron’s founder, Justin Sun, publicly welcoming him back. “Great! Happy to be there!” Sun tweeted in response to Zhao’s announcement.
Binance Blockchain Week is one of the largest Web3 events, bringing together top industry leaders to discuss the challenges and future of the decentralized finance world.
Zhao’s appearance will be closely watched as the community looks to see what role he might continue to play in shaping the industry despite his departure from Binance’s leadership.
