Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as CZ, has found himself at the epicenter of a new controversy following a recent report by the Financial Times regarding his Web3 and artificial intelligence (AI) venture, YZi Labs. CZ Denies Financial Times Report The report suggested that Zhao was planning to open a substantial $10 billion portfolio to outside investors, a claim that has sparked a vigorous denial from the former executive of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Related Reading: Bitcoin, Ethereum, And XRP In Freefall: What’s Driving The Current Crypto Slump? According to the Financial Times, Ella Zhang, head of YZi Labs, acknowledged strong interest from potential investors, even mentioning that US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins had requested a private demonstration of the fund’s capabilities. The Financial Times report indicated that approximately 70% of YZi Labs’ portfolio consists of digital assets, with more than 50 token proposals reviewed over the summer. However, the former Binance executive took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to vehemently dispute the Financial Times’ claims, labeling the report as “complete false news” filled with what he described as “fake, wrong, and made-up information.” Zhao made several specific assertions in his posts. He stated that YZi Labs is not currently raising an external fund, nor is there any planned demonstration for investors. CZ expressed confusion over the concept of a “demo” for a fund and clarified that there has never been a pitch deck for YZi Labs, nor has the organization pursued any external investment discussions since its rebranding. YZi Labs Not Linked To Binance In his response, CZ further stated that YZi Labs operates independently from cryptocurrency exchange Binance and refuted claims that it was “spun out” of the exchange after his legal troubles with US authorities in November 2023. Addressing regulatory concerns, Zhao pointed out that he has only been cited for a single violation related to the Bank Secrecy Act, which he clarified involved a failure to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program. He sated: I plead to a single violation of BSA, failure to maintain an adequate ANTI-money laundering program. Contrary to what FT characterized as “money laundering” violations. Related Reading: Why Aren’t Institutions Adopting XRP ‘Massively’? Pundit Answers The former Binance CEO stressed that his legal situation should not be conflated with accusations of money laundering, a distinction he feels is often misrepresented in traditional media. Zhao also noted that the Financial Times had previously attempted to arrange a lunch interview with him, promising positive coverage. After canceling the meeting, he expressed his regret about the situation, suggesting that the resulting article was not the narrative he had hoped for. At the time of writing, Binance’s native token, Binance Coin (BNB), trades above the $1,000 milestone, recording gains of 15% during this month’s uptrend. Featured image from BBC, chart from TradingView.com
Vape company CEA Industries and venture capital firm 10X Capital, supported by YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs), have announced a $500 million private placement aimed at establishing the largest publicly listed Binance Coin (BNB) treasury company. New BNB Treasury Strategy The offering comprises a common equity Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE), which will generate $500 million in gross proceeds—$400 million in cash and $100 million in cryptocurrency. According to Monday’s announcement, the funds raised will be primarily directed toward developing a crypto treasury strategy focused on the BNB Chain. Related Reading: $120K Bitcoin In Sight: 90-Day US–China Tariff Truce Fuels Market Optimism Leading the new BNB treasury strategy will be incoming CEO David Namdar, a co-founder of Galaxy Digital and a senior partner at 10X Capital, alongside incoming Chief Investment Officer Russell Read. On the matter, Namdar noted: BNB Chain is one of the most widely utilized blockchain ecosystems, yet access for institutional investors has been limited until now. By establishing a US-listed treasury vehicle, we’re opening doors for traditional investors to participate transparently. Russell Read echoed Namdar’s view, emphasizing what he sees as the fundamental strength of Binance Coin as a digital asset: Institutional-grade exposure to BNB is appealing because it is driven by real utility across various sectors, including decentralized finance (DeFi) and enterprise applications. By creating this treasury vehicle, we allow institutions to engage in the growth narrative of BNB. 10X Capital, which has a history of advising significant players in the crypto space, will act as the asset manager for the BNB treasury strategy with the backing of YZi Labs. The transaction is expected to close around July 31, 2025, at which point the company will begin deploying funds to acquire BNB tokens. CEA Industries Stock Soars 560% The company’s plans after the closing include building an initial position in BNB, with aspirations to scale its holdings significantly over the next 12 to 24 months through a “sophisticated capital markets program.” Additionally, they will reportedly explore staking, lending, and other opportunities within the Binance ecosystem to generate revenue while maintaining a conservative risk profile. Related Reading: XRP Won’t See Devastating Pullback Because ‘The Train Has Left The Station’ Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs, expressed confidence in the potential of a publicly listed Binance Coin treasury vehicle: We recognized the institutional potential from the outset, and with the PIPE announcement, our conviction has been validated. We are excited to see this vision materialize, enhancing BNB’s utility and institutional access in a sustainable manner. The market response to the announcement has been significantly positive for the company, with CEA Industries’ stock (VAPE) surging more than 560% on Monday morning following the revelation of the PIPE deal. As of this writing, BNB is trading at $825, which is a 3% gap between the current price and the all-time high of $863 achieved earlier on Monday. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
YZi Labs made its first investment in crypto startup Sign, with the amount of the funding round reported to be around $16 million.