Main Takeaways
Binance turns nine this week, and we're marking the milestone with stories from three long-standing employees and three Binance Angels who helped build it.
Over the years, they’ve helped launch products, grow communities, mentor newcomers, and support millions of users around the world.
As Binance evolved, so did they, with new careers, marriages, parenthood, friendships, and opportunities they never expected.
Nine years is a long time in crypto. It's also a long time in a person's life.
When Binance launched in 2017, nobody knew what the future would bring. Some of the people who joined in those early years are still here today. They have built products, grown communities, taught newcomers, answered countless questions, and helped shape Binance over the past nine years.
As Binance evolved, so did they. They took on new roles, moved countries, got married, became parents, built lifelong friendships, and found opportunities they never expected when they first joined.
That’s what this year’s anniversary theme, ‘Built by You’, is all about. We spoke with three long-standing employees and three Binance Angels about what they built, what they remember most, and how their years at Binance have shaped their lives.
From One Writer to Millions of Learners
Henrique joined Binance in late 2018 as one of the earliest members of the Binance Academy team. He had been freelancing as a crypto writer and was already a Binance user when he saw the job listing and applied. At the time, he was the Academy team's only content writer.
“The company was relatively new, and we had a great startup vibe,” he says. “I remember being amazed by how smart my colleagues were, and I did everything I could to learn as much as possible from them.”
In those early years, the Academy team was small and focused on creating as much educational content as possible for an industry that was growing quickly. As the platform expanded, Henrique saw work he had helped create translated into more than 30 languages and made available to millions of people around the world.
“I know there is still a lot to work on and improve, but having helped create and develop Binance Academy will always be something I am proud of.”
Over the years, he grew from writer to senior editor, hiring and training larger teams as Binance Academy expanded. His life changed too. Joining Binance meant moving away from Brazil and adapting to life far from his family. He later got married and started a family of his own.
“Looking back, I feel grateful and lucky to have had the opportunity to join Binance at such an early stage.”
Carrying a Legacy Forward
Since 2018, Venky has supported communities across Southeast Asia and Africa as a Binance Angel, moderated the English Global Telegram channel, and contributed to Binance events around the world.
His connection to the Binance community is also deeply personal.
Venky's late twin brother shared his love for Binance, often wearing Binance swag and calling himself ‘a proud Binancian family member.’ After his brother died in a road accident, that connection took on a new meaning.
“When I received his final belongings – the black hoodie he was wearing, the bracelet I once gave him from Sri Lanka – grief and pride collided into a single, unmistakable message: keep building.”
Venky carried that message back into his community work. In 2025, he received the Community Builder Award at Binance Blockchain Week, which he says he accepted for both of them.
“Binance was never just a platform to me,” he says. “It is where my brother’s pride lived, and where I now carry it forward, one community at a time.”
Growing With the Community
Sisi joined Binance in early 2020 after interviewing to host Block 101, one of Binance's early podcasts. She later moved into community operations, with her responsibilities expanding into social media, as well as events and branding across Asia.
She remembers three things most clearly about her early days: the pace, the passion, and the constant innovation.
New to the industry herself, Sisi was learning crypto while keeping pace with an ecosystem that was changing at breakneck speed. She joined during the DeFi boom of 2020-2021, when new products, applications, and ways of using crypto were emerging almost daily. Keeping up with the industry quickly became part of the job.
“The crypto space is inherently community-centric,” she says. “A successful project is inseparable from a cohesive community.”
She has also seen her own approach to work change. Years of shifting responsibilities, international events, and changing user needs have made her more adaptable and more willing to take on new challenges. They also reinforced the importance of staying close to users.
“Every time I earnestly address a client’s request – even something as small as guiding them through a product feature so they can use our service smoothly – the genuine gratitude and positive feedback reaffirm my purpose,” she says.
A Volunteer Journey Full of Firsts
Sehrish, known in the community as Jassia, brought several years of community management experience with her when she joined as a Binance Angel in February 2021.
Since then, she has supported communities across Pakistan and the wider Binance ecosystem, moderated more than 20 Telegram and Discord communities, hosted online events, mentored new Angels, and taken on the role of Feedback Buddy for the Binance Pakistan community.
Her contributions have been recognized with several awards, including being named Binance Angel of the Year in 2025. But when Jassia looks back, some of her most important milestones happened far beyond the screen.
During her time with Binance, she took her first flight, went on her first international trip, stayed in a hotel for the first time, and eventually travelled abroad on her own.
“These weren’t just travel experiences,” she says. “They became life-changing memories that I’ll always cherish.”
What started as volunteering for a community she believed in became one of the most meaningful chapters of her life.
“Binance didn’t just give me opportunities,” Jassia says. “It gave me confidence, lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and a global family.”
The Balloon King and Other Reasons to Stay
Tram joined Binance in early 2021 without knowing much about crypto. The team saw that as an advantage: if a complete beginner could learn to navigate the industry, she could help make it easier for other newcomers too.
She started in localization and content marketing before gradually moving into social media and community work as the Vietnam team grew.
Her strongest first impression was the relationship users already had with Binance.
“I never thought people could love a brand this much,” she recalls. At offline events, the Binance booth would draw long lines of people waiting to play games, collect swag, or simply speak with the team. “I even joked with my colleagues that I felt like an idol for a day.”
Over the years, she came to understand where that enthusiasm came from. At one of Binance's annual community birthday celebrations in Vietnam, a community member known as the ‘Balloon King’ told her he'd started a small balloon business and that Binance had been part of its journey.
“It was such a simple conversation, but it has stayed with me ever since,” she says. “Seeing how the Binance community has become part of someone’s personal journey and brought something positive to their life makes me proud to be part of it.”
Almost six years later, Tram says she is proudest of helping build a community where many familiar faces have stayed for years. Her personal life evolved too: during her time at Binance, she got married and became a mother.
“When I look back, I don’t just see the projects or campaigns,” she says. “I see how much I’ve grown as a person.”
Opening the First Door
Max has been part of the Binance Angels community for almost five years. He started as a grassroots volunteer before moving into mentor and evaluator roles, supporting the Binance Argentina and Binance LATAM communities through moderation, events, and community initiatives.
One of the contributions he is proudest of is a bootcamp designed to give new Angel applicants a more guided introduction to the community. The initiative was later adopted globally.
For Max, the greatest reward has been watching the people who went through it grow.
“Over these years, what motivates me most is seeing how people who arrived knowing nothing about the crypto world end up learning how to navigate the ecosystem,” he says. “Helping to open that first door – for colleagues, for the community, for those just starting out – is what gives everything meaning.”
In 2025, Max was recognized as a Local Community Dynamo (Americas & LATAM) at the Binance Angels Awards, an achievement he says reflects the wider community that has supported him throughout his journey.
Built by You
Across these six stories, there's no single definition of what it means to build Binance: some built products, others built communities, mentored newcomers, shared knowledge, or simply showed up, year after year, for someone else.
Their stories are different, but they all reflect the same idea behind Binance's ninth anniversary. The company has always been shaped by the people who contribute to it.
To every employee, Angel, user, and community member who has been part of that journey, thank you.
Binance was built by you.
Further Reading
Celebrate Binance’s Ninth Anniversary With Over $4.5M Worth of Rewards
Binance’s 9YA: Nine Years of Scaling Access And Utility For Our Community
Built by You: How User Feedback Shaped Binance in 2026 so Far
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