The founder of Binance, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, has addressed rumors regarding his brief encounter with a female KOL at the Binance Blockchain Week event in Dubai.
Speculation dates back to December 4th when CZ faced gold enthusiast Peter Schiff in a highly anticipated debate. During that session, Tintin – a cryptocurrency influencer working with the Aster project – took the stage.
CZ strikes back
He handed CZ a “magic box” containing a heavy golden object. This moment was captured on video and received additional attention when Tintin tweeted that the box was “actually damn heavy.” The moment has become the most viewed part of the entire debate’s YouTube video.
The light marketing stunt was supposed to be harmless, but soon it became a topic of gossip in Chinese-speaking crypto communities. According to some users, there might have been romantic sparks between the two individuals.
CZ has not let rumors grow before, but addressed them directly in a post published on X.
“Am I the subject of rumors now? The markets seem really quiet – everyone has too much time,” he joked.
He said that the entire interaction with Tintin consisted of exchanging three messages and a meeting of about ten minutes before the debate. The decision to let someone hand over the box on stage was made at the last moment, and it had not been agreed upon in advance.
“Focus on something else. Apparently someone and someone…” he added, somewhat sarcastically.
The rumors started just days after Yi He – CZ's long-time partner and mother of his three children – was appointed Binance's second CEO on December 3. CEO Richard Teng announced the new appointment during Binance Blockchain Week. This was Binance's most significant leadership change since CZ's withdrawal in 2023.
When asked about potential conflicts between his personal and professional roles, Yi He clarified the boundary.
“My private life is separate from my work life,” he told reporters in Dubai. “My achievements and abilities as a founder often go unnoticed when my personal life comes up.”
Meanwhile, CZ remains busy in Pakistan
Despite the romantic rumors, CZ has focused on Binance's global expansion. On December 12, he visited Pakistan along with Binance CEO Richard Teng and Tron founder Justin Sun. They had meetings with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The visit coincided with a significant regulatory milestone: Pakistan's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) granted approval certificates to both Binance and HTX, paving the way for exchanges to obtain full licenses in the country.
“A significant achievement for Binance in Pakistan,” Teng said on X, mentioning that the exchange had received AML registration from PVARA. “I look forward to building a safe, transparent, and future-ready digital asset ecosystem together.”
CZ has been serving as an advisor to the Pakistan Crypto Council since April 2024, and the South Asian country appears to be eager to strengthen its position as a crypto-friendly region.
As for the Tintin rumors, CZ seems to have moved on – although the crypto community hasn't stopped the gossip yet.
