The Art of Building Binance: What CZ Would Do Differently Today, and the Future With AI

*How did Binance scale so fast—and what would CZ build if he started again today?* In this special Binance 9-year anniversary session hosted by Jacquelyn Melinek, Founder Strata Media, Binance Founder and former CEO CZ (Changpeng Zhao) reflects on the early days of building Binance, the user problems he wanted to solve in 2017, and the decisions that helped Binance grow into a leading global crypto platform. CZ shares what he would tell his younger self about compliance, politics, and shipping faster; why communities can be more resilient than companies; and why crypto should be understood less as a speculative asset and more as foundational infrastructure—like the internet and AI. Looking ahead, CZ discusses what he’s watching now: AI-powered payments, stablecoins, RWAs, tokenized markets, security, throughput, and how traditional finance and on‑chain finance may converge over time. *In this interview, CZ discusses:* ✅ Why CZ created Binance in 2017: faster technology, better security, stronger customer service, and user-first products ✅ What he would tell his 2017 self: learn legal, compliance, and politics earlier—and ship faster ✅ How Binance became number one in five months by catching the ICO wave while building strong products and protecting users ✅ Why “Built by You” reflects Binance’s community culture, volunteers, Angels, and global user base ✅ Why communities can be more resilient than companies during pressure, attacks, and uncertainty ✅ What makes a sticky crypto product today: lower-friction fiat rails, better stablecoins, RWAs, and tokenized markets ✅ The biggest misconception about adoption: crypto is not just an investment asset, but a foundational technology ✅ Where AI and crypto intersect: AI-powered payments, global transactions, and crypto-native money for agents ✅ How AI could improve crypto: better security, faster development, higher throughput, and more digital-native money ✅ What CZ sees after stepping back: broader industry perspective, more time to study stablecoins, RWAs, AI, and biotech ✅ Why traditional finance and crypto finance are likely to merge into one system over time *⏱️ Timestamps:* ⏳ 00:00 – Introduction ⏳ 00:15 – Looking back to 2017: why create Binance? ⏳ 01:14 – 2017 CZ vs. 2026 CZ ⏳ 01:42 – CZ's advice to his younger self: compliance, politics, and moving faster ⏳ 03:15 – What drove Binance’s rise and long-term leadership? ⏳ 05:29 – “Built by You”: About Binance’s community culture and user-driven growth ⏳ 07:16 – Why communities can be more resilient than companies ⏳ 08:27 – What makes a sticky crypto product today? ⏳ 10:10 – Biggest misconception about mainstream adoption of crypto ⏳ 11:31 – CZ discusses where AI and crypto genuinely intersect: crypto payments ⏳ 14:18 – How AI could impact Binance operations and product development ⏳ 16:04 – How AI could improve crypto beyond payments: security and throughput ⏳ 18:23 – What product could exist by Binance’s 18th anniversary? ⏳ 19:26 – Stepping back from Binance: how CZ sees the industry differently now ⏳ 21:11 – If CZ were starting from scratch today, what would he build? ⏳ 22:15 – CZ on traditional finance and on-chain finance merging into one system ⏳ 23:22 – Closing remarks 💬 What do you think will define Binance’s next 9 years—AI, payments, RWAs, tokenization, or something else? Tell us in the comments. #binance #BuiltByYou #CZ #cryptoAI #CryptoAdoption #Stablecoins #Tokenization #interview *⚠️ RISK WARNING:* Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance is not liable for any losses you may incur. It is your responsibility to ascertain whether you are permitted to use the services of Binance based on your individual circumstances. Not financial advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use and Risk Warning. *📢 Join the conversation:* ➡️ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/binance ➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/binance ➡️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/binance ➡️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@binance ➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.din.com/company/binance ➡️ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/binance *🔗 Download Binance here (iOS, Android):* https://binance.onelink.me/y874/cb98de36 *🔗 Sign up for Binance here:* https://www.binance.com/en?ref=ERQKP7ND&utm_source=BinanceYoutube&utm_medium=GlobalSocial&utm_campaign=GlobalSocial