Beyond Borders: The Binance Life of Zhao Changpeng, Chapter 1: Crossing the Pacific, From China to Canada

1. The Source

When people mention 'CZ,' a name that is almost universally recognized in the global cryptocurrency world, they easily think of the massive trading systems, the wave of blockchain revolution, the storm of regulation, and the title of 'crypto billionaire' that many envy.

However, before Binance became the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Zhao Changpeng was a young man from a small coastal city in eastern China. He grew up on the edge of an era's turning point, emerging from an intellectual family, caught in the social storm, and finally crossing the ocean to Canada—a country with a completely different economic order and values from China.

Understanding Zhao Changpeng's early years is not only to restore his personal growth trajectory but also to glimpse a snapshot of an era: the fate of intellectuals in China during the late 1980s, the waves of immigration at the end of the Cold War, and how a tech-savvy Chinese found his direction amidst the identity of an immigrant.

2. Knowledge Elites

In 1977, Zhao Changpeng was born in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China—this city is located on the eastern coast of China and is one of the starting points of the 'New Eurasian Land Bridge.' In the late 1970s, Lianyungang was still just a small third-tier city with a strong agricultural and port atmosphere, with industrialization just beginning. The crucial 'New Eurasian Land Bridge' did not fully open until September 1990.

The Zhao family is a typical intellectual family. Zhao Changpeng's father, Zhao Shengkai (translated into English as Shengkai Zhao, previously mistranslated as Zhao Shengkai), is a teacher at a local university, while his mother works in the education or research system. According to interviews from ChainCatcher and other sources, Zhao's father was a 'knowledge youth' deeply affected by the Cultural Revolution—labeled as a 'bourgeois intellectual' in the 1970s, he was sent down to the countryside for years of labor, only returning to the podium after the reform and opening-up.

However, according to my searches and research, Zhao Shengkai's earlier experiences are hard to trace, but based on public information, he graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei in 1970 and obtained a master's degree there in 1981.

If the university students of the 1970s were known as 'workers, peasants, and soldiers' students, then the master's students of 1981 were basically the first batch of college students/researchers after the restoration of the college entrance examination, which at that time belonged to the intellectual elite. The years between 1970 and 1977 (or 1978) were known as the Cultural Revolution period, during which Zhao Shengkai most likely worked in rural labor as described in the reports.

After graduation, Zhao Shengkai continued to teach at the University of Science and Technology of China, researching in the field of geophysics. He subsequently published papers in professional journals such as (Geological and Exploration), (Seismological Journal), and (Northwest Seismological Journal), demonstrating high expertise, such as his collaboration with Xu Shizhe in 1985 to publish (Finite Element Method Solution for 2D Anisotropic Geoelectric Section's Electromagnetic Field), which those interested can read at the link: https://kns.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=sTAINAsmd886NYiXzlaPM-Pa4A31RT6Zl15UqBeu59ky1i63vnysUHxHLNzXYtpshp0jNfP49876a0BVSBqQB8A1LJbUhg6OGeOs6Bke4Lf7-ay5_8kqAy-g4TaIA8PBa96kQgDGsUsYA-onILRTXPeLQtDgbOeV&uniplatform=NZKPT

At that time, during the early reform and opening-up, material conditions were generally lacking, especially for intellectuals. A saying circulated in society at the time: 'Those who make missiles are not as good as those who sell tea eggs.' Although Zhao Shengkai taught at a prestigious university, geophysics was a relatively obscure subject with low pay; this family background made Zhao Changpeng's childhood materially challenging, yet spiritually rich. The home was filled with books, and his father's faith in science and rationality became the core of early family education.

Zhao Shengkai was a typical idealist of that era. He believed in science, education, and open-mindedness—ideas that were suppressed during the late 'Cultural Revolution' but began to sprout again in the early 1980s on the campus of the University of Science and Technology of China.
In later interviews, Zhao Changpeng frequently mentioned his father's influence on his worldview:

'My father taught me not to be afraid of change and to understand the logic behind technology.'

As a child, he liked to dismantle old radios and televisions at home; this intuitive interest in electronic technology laid the groundwork for his future success in the computer field.

3. Storms: The family decision of 1989

1. A Turning Point of an Era

The year 1989 was a special year for countless intellectuals in China. Anxiety and confusion filled the air; the openness accumulated over a decade of reform and opening-up was becoming tense. Discussions in university campuses faded, lectures decreased, and many scholars felt increasingly uncertain about the future. For those who firmly believed that knowledge could change destiny in the 70s and 80s, that year was a spiritual cold wave.

In this context, Zhao Shengkai—a well-educated geophysics researcher—received a doctoral offer from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. This was supposed to be a rare upward path for intellectuals: a platform leading to the forefront of global academia. But in 1989, such an opportunity felt more like a 'boat to escape.' Readers familiar with the situation at the time should understand the implications behind my use of 'escape.'

Going abroad was not only a professional choice but also a complete restructuring of the family's destiny.

Zhao Shengkai made his decision in a very short time. Although the external environment was complex, the academic path had to continue, and life must go on. Change was not necessarily a bad thing. In the end, he chose to go to Canada alone to pursue his doctorate, with his wife and child following later. He needed to prepare a good foundation for his family.

For 12-year-old Zhao Changpeng, this choice felt like a gust of strong wind blowing from the adult world; he didn't quite understand its meaning, only knowing he was about to leave the 'familiar soil' that his father often spoke of.

Three months later, his mother took him on a plane to Canada, crossing the Pacific Ocean to follow in his father's footsteps. From then on, his growth trajectory diverged from that of countless peers in China.

That year, he first experienced the hustle and bustle of the airport, the limited space of the airplane cabin, and the disorientation caused by time differences—he also realized for the first time that this journey was not just geographical movement, but a complete update of life.

2. The Initial Arrival in Vancouver

Various media have reported on the Zhao family's initial experiences in Canada, including sources like (Macleans) and (ChainCatcher), mentioning that the Zhao family settled in a modest rental unit in the eastern district of Vancouver. This area was then a common residence for new Chinese immigrants: the streets were filled with a mix of English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, and most shops below the rental units were grocery stores, small restaurants, and thrift shops.

There was neither the wealthy atmosphere of immigrant legends nor the romance of the 'New World'; rather, there was a pragmatic atmosphere of 'how to survive.' The local dialects were no longer heard between neighbors.

Zhao Shengkai continued to pursue a PhD in geophysics at UBC, facing considerable pressure from school, with research and language both presenting challenges. To make ends meet, he also took on some teaching assistant work, sometimes helping the department with basic data processing at night. Zhao's mother entered a local garment factory, starting from the most basic sewing position. The industrial sewing machines at that time were noisy, the environment was closed, and the pace was extremely fast, with shifts often lasting over ten hours.

In many immigrant stories, 'academic families going abroad' are often romanticized, but Zhao Changpeng's childhood circumstances were far from the bright imagination. He later recalled:

'My mom's hands were red and swollen every day when she came home, sometimes she couldn't even hold chopsticks steadily.'

With his parents busy with their studies and livelihood, he had to learn to enter the adult world early at the age of 12.

3. The Self-Refinement of Youth

Zhao Changpeng's first job was at a McDonald's in Vancouver. This job was not unusual locally; many teenagers would choose to work in fast-food restaurants, but for newly arrived immigrant children, it carried another layer of meaning: language, culture, rhythm, and dignity all required repeated adjustment.

He needed to answer customers' questions at the cash register in fluent English; clean the tables; in the fast-paced kitchen, tie on an apron and distribute burgers; after work, he had to catch the last bus home, sometimes at eleven at night, with all kinds of people on board—quiet yet oppressive, sometimes even carrying a hint of risk.

Those experiences shaped his foundational character.

He said he had seen 'where money comes from' since he was young, and he understood why his parents were careful with every penny. From the moment he received his first paycheck, he realized that whether a person could stand firm in a resource-scarce environment largely depended on how much effort they were willing to put in.

In addition to McDonald's, he later also worked night shifts at a gas station. The winter wind in Canada is colder than a knife, often accompanied by blizzards. The late-night gas station is indeed a lonely and cold place. While most kids at this age are still cuddled in their parents' arms, he was already standing behind the cash register, learning to observe strangers and developing coping skills in extreme situations.

These experiences later became a deep psychological resilience for him as he entered the cryptocurrency space and faced market fluctuations and public opinion shocks. He was not a 'born with a golden key' entrepreneur, nor was he an elite raised in a favorable Western environment. His growth resembled that of a typical 'child of immigrants': forcing himself to mature quickly, treating every challenge as a stepping stone.

4. Redefining 'Home'

The common theme for immigrant families is: how to recreate a 'home' in a strange society. For the Zhao family, this challenge was no easier than for others.

Zhao's father's doctoral studies and research pressures were increasing day by day, while Zhao's mother did not earn much at the factory, and the whole family needed a considerable amount of time to adapt in terms of language and social circles. Zhao Changpeng encountered typical immigrant pressures at school: accent, cultural barriers, academic competition, and identity recognition. For a teenager, this multiple pressure was heavy, but he showed a calmness that belied his age.

In the first few years in Vancouver, they had no car, no savings, and no stable social network, but they had a very clear family value: to avoid seeking help from others as much as possible, not to shy away from difficulties, and to live life step by step on their own.

Zhao Changpeng later recalled his parents:

'They never lectured me on grand theories, but I could see how they lived every day.'

This value profoundly influenced his view of 'success.' Many people believe the cryptocurrency world symbolizes 'get-rich-quick myths,' while Zhao Changpeng has maintained an almost cold caution in his later career—stemming from his deep understanding that behind every apparent stroke of luck, there are countless silent efforts. This is undeniably true; compared to relatives and friends living in China, Zhao Changpeng's family's life in Canada is enviable; even when placed against the backdrop of the entire 'going abroad' wave at that time, Zhao Shengkai's path was above average. A simple comparison: the founder of New Oriental, Yu Minhong, who was still a teacher at Peking University at around the same time (the late 1980s), did not receive any doctoral offers from North American universities. But only by experiencing it can one truly appreciate the hardships of this life. Zhao Shengkai felt this way, and so did Zhao Changpeng.

4. The Profound Impact of Immigration

If before 1989, the life trajectory of the young Zhao Changpeng in a city in Jiangsu, China, was still clear: studying, attending school, doing research, or entering the system for work, then the world after immigration was reconstructed overnight: new language, new education system, new social structure, new class barriers.

But it was also in such an environment that he gained another dimension of growth: a more international perspective, stronger personal autonomy, greater resilience, and, more importantly, he experienced the real world of 'society is not fair, but effort still matters' during his adolescence.

Many reports mention that Zhao Changpeng has a personality trait of 'not liking to complain' and 'tending to take action.' To some extent, this is precisely the capability forced out by immigrant life. He knew early on that difficulties would not wait for you to be ready; every step in life could mean starting over.

1989 was a year when the Zhao family crossed the ocean, marking the starting point of a long struggle. Although the storms were great, they took root in a foreign land and, through scholarship, labor, and perseverance, gradually redefined the meaning of 'home.'

For the young Zhao Changpeng, this experience has not become blurred with time. On the contrary, it has become the most solid psychological foundation for his future decision-making: whether in the founding of top global exchanges or in the most intense industry controversies, he has always maintained a steady demeanor of 'not exaggerating or panicking.'

Because he knew that he had walked a narrower path and seen colder nights, he would always remember the snow and wind experienced at the gas station late at night.