Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) recently released his new memoir, “Freedom of Money, A Memoir of Protecting Users, Resilience, and the Founding of Binance,” where he offers a candid account of the early days of crypto, the rapid explosion of Binance, and the personal consequences of building at the center of one of the fastest-moving industries in modern finance.
Available globally from April 8, 2026, on Amazon Kindle and Paperback, Freedom of Money traces CZ’s journey from his early life and unconventional path into technology through the founding and rapid growth of Binance during a period when the cryptocurrency industry was expanding at unprecedented speed.
The evolution of digital assets from a builder’s perspective
Part memoir and part reflection on the evolution of digital assets, Freedom of Money offers readers a builder’s perspective on what it was like to grow a global platform in a new industry where the rules were still being written.
“While many people congratulated me on being number one, something else gave me more satisfaction,” CZ writes in the book. “I was getting messages from users all around the world thanking us for providing them with financial access or even financial freedom.”
The memoir also reflects on the challenges that came with building at such speed, including the pressures of scaling a global company, regulatory scrutiny as the industry matured, and CZ’s personal experience serving a four-month sentence in a U.S. federal prison.
“This memoir is not a sanitized corporate story,” CZ said. “It reflects on what it was like to build during a time when the crypto industry was still taking shape – the successes, the mistakes, and the lessons that came from both.”
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Challenges and opportunities during a defining period in crypto
Alongside the events that defined CZ’s career, Freedom of Money explores broader themes of money, technology and responsibility, and how his views on financial freedom have evolved over time.
Over the past ten years, Binance has played a significant role in the growth of the digital asset ecosystem, helping support the development of infrastructure used by millions of users globally.
“The story of Binance is closely tied to the early evolution of the crypto industry. Freedom of Money offers a founder’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities that shaped digital assets during their formative years,” said Richard Teng, Co-CEO of Binance.
Freedom of Money offers insights into CZ’s personal perspective on that period of rapid innovation and expansion in the cryptocurrency industry.
“The early days of crypto were fast, unpredictable and often misunderstood. This book captures what it was like to build during that time and how the industry has evolved since,” said Yi He, Co-Ceo of Binance.
