WuBlockchain
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao revealed on December 13, 2025 that he holds very little cash or fiat currency, relying instead on crypto assets for everyday spending through real-time card settlement. The disclosure, made in a conversation with Bilal Bin Saqib, underscores how deeply Zhao has committed to a crypto-native financial lifestyle.
Why it matters
Zhao noted that Binance's fee income is already denominated in cryptocurrencies including BTC, meaning the exchange is effectively accumulating Bitcoin as a byproduct of its core business — a structural position that mirrors the treasury strategies now being adopted by a growing number of publicly listed companies. His framing that monetary policy and short-term volatility matter less when crypto itself is the benchmark is a significant philosophical statement: it redefines what a "store of value" means in practice for someone operating at institutional scale.
Market impact
CZ's long-term optimism on crypto's upward trajectory, combined with Binance's passive BTC accumulation through fee income, reinforces the broader narrative of institutional and operator-level conviction in Bitcoin as a base-layer asset. For retail investors watching macro headwinds, the message is pointed: if the founder of the world's largest exchange by volume is running a near-zero fiat balance, the signal on long-term crypto adoption is hard to dismiss.
Frequently asked questions
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How is Binance passively accumulating Bitcoin through its normal operations?
Binance collects trading fee income in cryptocurrencies including BTC, meaning the exchange builds a Bitcoin position as a direct byproduct of its core business without making separate treasury purchases.
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Why does CZ argue that monetary policy matters less when crypto is the benchmark?
When an individual or institution denominates their wealth and spending in crypto rather than fiat, central bank rate decisions and inflation metrics have a reduced impact on their real purchasing power, since they are not converting in and out of fiat to transact.
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What card settlement mechanism allows CZ to spend crypto for everyday purchases?
CZ referenced real-time card settlement, a system where crypto holdings are converted at the point of sale to cover everyday transactions, allowing crypto to function as a practical spending currency without pre-converting to fiat.
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