·
Zhao Changpeng appears in Hong Kong.
On August 27, when I saw this news, my first reaction wasn’t, “Zhao Changpeng has come to Hong Kong.”
Instead, I thought:
A person who was convicted by the United States, served four months in prison, was fined $4.3 billion, and was later pardoned by Trump—why on earth would he choose Hong Kong to hold a new book meet-and-greet?
This question is far more interesting than the mere fact that “Zhao Changpeng is in Hong Kong.”
The scene on site was also incredibly striking.
Zhao Changpeng walked into the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, surrounded by a group of bodyguards, attending a reader meet-and-greet for 《Binance: The Life》.
If you rewind a few years, it’s almost unimaginable.
In 2023, he was hit with a hefty fine by the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to establish an effective anti-money-laundering mechanism, and he was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.
In October 2025, Trump signed a pardon.
From a defendant in the U.S. Department of Justice—
to someone pardoned by the president.
Then, today, he stands at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre surrounded by bodyguards, chatting with several hundred people about Web3.
Sometimes, real-life storylines are indeed more absurd than fiction.
But what I truly care about isn’t his legendary saga.
It’s why he chose Hong Kong.
At the event, Zhao Changpeng said:
“Life’s success depends eighty percent on choosing the right track, but the key is to get personally involved—if you don’t participate, there’s no chance.”
If someone else said this, it might just be inspirational fluff.
But when it comes out of Zhao Changpeng’s mouth, it’s a completely different matter.
He chose the right track, and he also went all in himself.
The price, of course, was four months of imprisonment and a $4.3 billion fine.
Yet in the end, he still returned to the game table.
And this time, he’s standing in Hong Kong.
His assessment of Hong Kong was also very direct:
“Web3 and Hong Kong are extremely tightly bound.”
He’s also bullish on Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the United States as policies gradually warm up.
More importantly, he believes the crypto industry has already survived its coldest period.
And one of the directions worth watching closely next is RWA—tokenizing real-world assets.
In fact, this is far more important than “the founder of Binance coming to Hong Kong to hold a signing event.”
Because I’ve always believed that to judge whether an industry truly has staying power, you can’t just look at prices.
You need to see whether the people are still there, whether the money is still there, whether policy has left room, and whether entrepreneurs are bold enough to keep betting.
And this time, Zhao Changpeng chose Hong Kong
Zhao Changpeng appears in Hong Kong.
On August 27, when I saw this news, my first reaction wasn’t, “Zhao Changpeng has come to Hong Kong.”
Instead, I thought:
A person who was convicted by the United States, served four months in prison, was fined $4.3 billion, and was later pardoned by Trump—why on earth would he choose Hong Kong to hold a new book meet-and-greet?
This question is far more interesting than the mere fact that “Zhao Changpeng is in Hong Kong.”
The scene on site was also incredibly striking.
Zhao Changpeng walked into the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, surrounded by a group of bodyguards, attending a reader meet-and-greet for 《Binance: The Life》.
If you rewind a few years, it’s almost unimaginable.
In 2023, he was hit with a hefty fine by the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to establish an effective anti-money-laundering mechanism, and he was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.
In October 2025, Trump signed a pardon.
From a defendant in the U.S. Department of Justice—
to someone pardoned by the president.
Then, today, he stands at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre surrounded by bodyguards, chatting with several hundred people about Web3.
Sometimes, real-life storylines are indeed more absurd than fiction.
But what I truly care about isn’t his legendary saga.
It’s why he chose Hong Kong.
At the event, Zhao Changpeng said:
“Life’s success depends eighty percent on choosing the right track, but the key is to get personally involved—if you don’t participate, there’s no chance.”
If someone else said this, it might just be inspirational fluff.
But when it comes out of Zhao Changpeng’s mouth, it’s a completely different matter.
He chose the right track, and he also went all in himself.
The price, of course, was four months of imprisonment and a $4.3 billion fine.
Yet in the end, he still returned to the game table.
And this time, he’s standing in Hong Kong.
His assessment of Hong Kong was also very direct:
“Web3 and Hong Kong are extremely tightly bound.”
He’s also bullish on Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the United States as policies gradually warm up.
More importantly, he believes the crypto industry has already survived its coldest period.
And one of the directions worth watching closely next is RWA—tokenizing real-world assets.
In fact, this is far more important than “the founder of Binance coming to Hong Kong to hold a signing event.”
Because I’ve always believed that to judge whether an industry truly has staying power, you can’t just look at prices.
You need to see whether the people are still there, whether the money is still there, whether policy has left room, and whether entrepreneurs are bold enough to keep betting.
And this time, Zhao Changpeng chose Hong Kong
