CoinDesk
Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao used the Consensus Miami 2026 stage to float a Binance.US revival as a route to give American traders access to global crypto liquidity, arguing that the U.S. is "leading in the world in terms of crypto policies" but still cut off from the deepest order books. "The best liquidity in crypto is outside of the U.S.," Zhao said, framing the structural gap as a consumer-protection problem. Binance.US, under CEO Stephen Gregory, has been plotting a comeback beyond spot trading into derivatives and prediction markets.
Why it matters
Zhao's tone marks a sharp shift from two years ago, when he resigned as Binance CEO, pleaded guilty to multiple U.S. charges, served a four-month sentence, and was later pardoned by President Donald Trump. He said U.S. policy has "changed in the last year and a half or so," pointing to market-structure legislation including the CLARITY Act as evidence that builders and firms are returning after years of flight to Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Singapore. YZi Labs, the rebranded Binance Labs vehicle where Zhao now takes a more active role, has launched a $1 billion fund for BNB Chain projects and stood up a New York builder house alongside a small San Francisco presence.
Market impact
The pitch has two distinct read-throughs. First, a revived Binance.US would compress the price gap between U.S. and offshore venues — Zhao's explicit thesis — and that is bullish for BNB in particular, which he admitted has been "underexposed" in America relative to rival layer-1s, with limited institutional access and ETP distribution. "The lack of access for institutions to BNB is actually an opportunity," he said, arguing institutional entry is "generally better for the token." Second, Zhao named BNB Chain as the natural payments rail for AI agents transacting with each other, arguing credit cards lack the APIs blockchains provide. That positioning lands before the market is mature, but it puts BNB explicitly in the AI-payments narrative now drawing capital to competing chains.
Frequently asked questions
-
What did CZ say about Binance.US at Consensus Miami 2026?
Zhao said a revived Binance.US could give American crypto traders access to global liquidity, calling the gap between U.S. and offshore prices a consumer problem. Binance.US, under CEO Stephen Gregory, is already expanding beyond spot into derivatives and prediction markets.
-
Why is CZ back on a U.S. stage two years after his guilty plea?
Zhao resigned as Binance CEO, pleaded guilty to multiple U.S. charges, served a four-month sentence, and was pardoned by President Donald Trump. He said U.S. policy has "changed in the last year and a half," pointing to the CLARITY Act as evidence that builders and firms are returning from Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and…
-
What is YZi Labs and what is its $1 billion fund for?
YZi Labs is the rebrand of Binance Labs, where Zhao now takes a more active investment role. The firm launched a $1 billion fund dedicated to BNB Chain projects and has stood up a New York builder house plus a small San Francisco presence.
-
Why does CZ see BNB as under-exposed in the U.S.?
Zhao said BNB has had "a lot less" U.S. marketing, community building, and builder-house activity than competing layer-1s, and that U.S. institutions had limited BNB access until recently, leaving the token behind in ETP and institutional distribution.
-
How does CZ think BNB Chain fits into AI agent payments?
Zhao argued AI agents transacting with each other need crypto rails because credit cards lack APIs. He said blockchains are the most native settlement layer for automated cross-border payments and that BNB Chain should position itself as "the money for agents," though he called the market still in its earliest stage.
WuBlockchain
Benjamin Cowen
Crypto News
WatcherGuru
TheBlock
CoinTelegraph