The co-founder of Binance, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, intervened to dispel rumors of a supposed romantic story that arose after a brief interaction with a KOL during the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai.
Speculations date back to December 4, when CZ confronted gold advocate Peter Schiff in a highly anticipated debate. During the session, Tintin, a crypto influencer linked to the Aster project, took the stage.
CZ responds for the rhymes
She handed CZ a “magic box” containing a heavy gold object. The moment was captured on video and later amplified when Tintin tweeted that the box was “really f**king heavy.” This episode became the most viewed segment of the debate video on YouTube.
What started as a cute promotional stunt quickly turned into gossip among the Chinese-speaking crypto communities. Some users began to speculate about a possible romantic relationship between the two.
CZ, who never leaves rumors uncontested, directly addressed the issue in a post on X.
“Now there are rumors about me? The market must really be stagnant: you have nothing better to do,” he joked.
He then detailed the facts: his entire interaction with Tintin was limited to three exchanged messages and a meeting of about 10 minutes before the debate. The decision to have her deliver the box on stage was made at the last minute, without any prior agreement.
“Go find someone else to be interested in. I heard about someone and someone…”, he added, with a touch of sarcasm.
Rumors emerged just days after Yi He, CZ's long-time partner and mother of his three children, was appointed co-CEO of Binance on December 3. The appointment, announced by CEO Richard Teng during Binance Blockchain Week, represents the most significant change in the exchange's management since CZ stepped down in 2023.
When asked about possible conflicts between personal and professional roles, Yi He drew a clear line.
“My personal life is independent of my professional life,” he declared to journalists in Dubai. “My achievements and my skills as a co-founder are often overlooked when my private life is questioned.”
In the meantime, CZ is engaged in Pakistan
Regardless of the rumors about his love life, CZ has remained focused on expanding Binance's global presence. On December 12, he visited Pakistan along with Binance CEO Richard Teng and Tron founder Justin Sun to meet with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The visit coincided with a major regulatory milestone: the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) issued no-objection certificates to both Binance and HTX, paving the way for obtaining a full license in the country.
“An important milestone for Binance in Pakistan,” Teng said on X, emphasizing that the exchange has obtained AML registration from PVARA. “We look forward to building a secure, transparent, and future-ready digital asset ecosystem together.”
CZ has been an advisor for the Pakistan Crypto Council since April 2024, and the South Asian nation seems to want to potentially become a crypto-friendly jurisdiction in the region.
As for the rumors about Tintin? It seems that CZ has already turned the page, even though the crypto gossip machine continues to run.
