Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as CZ, is a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur and the founder of Binance, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume.

Zhao was born on November 17, 1976, in Jiangsu Province, China. He moved to Canada with his family at a young age and later graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in computer science.

Before starting Binance, Zhao worked for several tech companies, including Bloomberg Tradebook, where he developed trading software for futures and equities. He later founded Fusion Systems, a company that provided high-frequency trading systems for brokers.

In 2017, Zhao founded Binance in Hong Kong as a cryptocurrency trading platform, and within just six months, it became the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume. However, due to regulatory challenges in China and Hong Kong, Binance relocated its headquarters several times, eventually settling in Malta.

Under Zhao's leadership, Binance has become one of the most successful and influential players in the cryptocurrency industry, offering a wide range of services, including spot trading, futures trading, staking, lending, and more. As of 2021, Binance has over 15 million registered users and handles over $1 billion in daily trading volume.

Zhao's personal net worth is estimated to be over $1 billion, and he has been named one of the most influential people in the blockchain industry by Forbes and other publications. Despite his success, Zhao remains relatively private and rarely gives interviews or public appearances.