Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has denied rumors of a romance after a brief meeting with a female KOL during Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai.
The speculation began on December 4, when CZ debated gold advocate Peter Schiff in a highly anticipated discussion. During the debate, Tintin—an influencer in the crypto space working with the Aster project—went on stage.
CZ strikes back
She gave CZ a “magic box” containing a heavy gold object. The incident was filmed and gained traction when Tintin tweeted on X that the box was “really f*cking heavy.” The clip is now the most viewed part of the debate on YouTube.
What started as a fun PR stunt quickly turned into gossip among Chinese-speaking crypto communities. Several users began discussing a romantic connection between the two.
CZ, who doesn't like rumors, addressed this directly in a post on X.
“Is there gossip about me now? The market must be very calm—they have nothing better to do,” he joked.
He explained that he had only sent three messages with Tintin and met her for about 10 minutes before the debate. No one had planned for someone to give him the box on stage—they decided that right then.
“Look at someone else instead. I heard that someone and someone else…” he said with a bit of irony.
The rumors surfaced just a few days after Yi He, CZ's long-time partner and mother of his three children, took on a new role as co-CEO of Binance on December 3. The appointment, which CEO Richard Teng mentioned during Binance Blockchain Week, was the largest change in leadership since CZ stepped down in 2023.
When someone asked if her private and professional roles could clash, Yi He drew a clear line.
“My private life is separate from my professional life,” she told reporters in Dubai. “My achievements and my capacity as a co-founder are often overlooked when people question my private life.”
At the same time, CZ has a lot to do in Pakistan.
Aside from the romance rumors, CZ has focused on growing Binance's business globally. On December 12, he visited Pakistan along with Binance CEO Richard Teng and Tron founder Justin Sun for meetings with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The visit coincided with important news: Pakistan's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) gave the green light to both Binance and HTX to proceed towards full licensing in the country.
“An important milestone for Binance in Pakistan,” Teng said on X, noting that Binance has now obtained AML registration from PVARA. “Looking forward to building a secure, open, and future-proof digital asset ecosystem together.”
CZ has been an advisor to the Pakistan Crypto Council since April 2024, and the country wants to become a crypto hub in the region.
What about the rumors regarding Tintin? It seems that CZ has already moved on—even though the crypto gossip continues.
