Changpeng Zhao (CZ) launched his autobiography, and one factor stood out to some within the crypto group. It wasn't very “cipher”. There was nothing $NFT No partnerships, no Tokengate entry, no on-chain experiments, simply Amazon.
This determination caught the eye of Colin Wu, who questioned why one of many greatest names within the crypto trade would select such a conventional route. He claimed that the ebook could have supported cryptocurrency funds or contained soul-binding content material. $NFT A minimum of for patrons. Wu feels there could also be one thing that extra carefully aligns with Web3 ideas.
CZ defends Amazon launch
Wu pointed to Vitalik Buterin's 2022 ebook “Proof of Stake” within the X-Submit. Its launch adopted a very totally different path. With this launch, readers can donate Ether and obtain a digital copy; $NFT. Nevertheless, the proceeds from the sale (together with royalties) had been donated to Gitcoin Grants. This grew to become an early instance of how publishing might adapt to cryptocurrency-linked distribution.
In that context, CZ's strategy felt unusually conservative. Mr. Zhao, however, rejected the concept there was any deep motive behind this alternative.
“It's not that difficult,” he wrote. “You don't have to boost cows simply to drink milk,” he mentioned, including that he at all times buys books on Amazon. He hinted that it doesn't make a lot sense to construct a customized crypto-based distribution system only for a single launch. CZ mentioned he hopes folks exterior the cryptocurrency trade can simply buy and skim it. It looks like the aim was accessibility.
It's not that difficult. You don't want to boost cows to drink milk. I at all times purchase books on Amazon. E-commerce shouldn’t be our specialty. It appears a bit troublesome to create a ebook buy perform. We additionally hope that folks exterior the crypto trade will be at liberty to buy it.
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) April 8, 2026
In one other submit, Wu mentioned that loop releases of cryptocurrencies could cause quite a lot of problems, so he went with the concept of a conventional launch. He mentioned CZ could wish to undertake a extra prudent and safe methodology of issuance that avoids any type of tax points.
CZ's ebook exposes his authorized battles
Wu mentioned CZ's ebook presents a extra private and typically candid view of his journey. He described it as stuffed with robust opinions. I really feel like Binance's founder hates Zhou Wei (former CFO), Lao Xu, SBF, media, and legal professionals. Nevertheless, he praised He Yi and Heina and barely talked about Solar Ge.
The authorized chapter is the primary focus of this ebook. CZ mentioned that whereas he was being investigated by the U.S. authorities, he employed numerous legal professionals and spent some huge cash. These legal professionals began preventing amongst themselves.
At one level, one lawyer even mentioned the extra fines he paid, the higher. They ended up paying billions of {dollars} in fines. In the long run, the decide identified that they paid a big advantageous, which proves that the crime was extraordinarily critical. This fully floored CZ.
CZ detailed his time in detention. Mr. Wu identified that Mr. Zhao defined that the jail was so noisy from morning to nighttime that he couldn’t sleep in any respect. He added that within the final 14 days, CZ thought he could be all of the sudden transferred to a detention heart and held indefinitely.
In response to Mr. Wu's retelling, the detention heart had solely white incandescent lights that had been lit 24 hours a day. To take care of his sanity, Zhao relied on silently calculating Bitcoin's hashing algorithm in his head.
Mr. Zhao pleaded responsible to US cash laundering prices and resigned as CEO of Binance. The corporate agreed to a $4.3 billion settlement. Nevertheless, he was later pardoned by President Donald Trump. The transfer stays controversial in political opinion.
Since then, the worldwide cryptocurrency trade has skilled many ups and downs. The cumulative market capitalization of digital belongings has reached roughly $2.41 trillion. Bitcoin worth has elevated over 6% up to now seven days. On the time of writing, BTC is buying and selling at round $71,000.
