You know those stories that feel too wild to be true, like someone selling everything they own for a digital currency most people still think is “imaginary money”? Well, that’s not fiction. That’s Changpeng Zhao. Within the crypto space, he’s better known as CZ.
Back in 2013, CZ wasn’t a billionaire. He was living in a modest apartment in Shanghai, working in tech, and by most standards, doing pretty well. But then he heard about Bitcoin. Not just in passing. He really heard it. The kind of moment where something clicks in your brain and you can’t stop thinking about it. That kind of heard it.
So what did he do?
He sold his apartment. And bought Bitcoin.
That’s not a metaphor. He literally sold the roof over his head and put every cent, around $1 million, into a volatile, barely understood digital asset. Let’s be honest: most people would’ve called that insane. But hindsight has a funny way of flipping the script.
Fast forward to 2025, and that $1M has turned into an estimated $167 million. More importantly, CZ didn’t just ride the Bitcoin wave, he helped build the ocean. He kicked off Binance in 2017, and today, it’s the global giant in crypto trading. From day one, it wasn’t just about trading, it was about reshaping finance itself. Faster, cheaper, decentralized. No middlemen, no banks, no bureaucracy.
Of course, the ride hasn’t been smooth. Regulatory heat, market crashes, lawsuits, CZ has seen it all. But he’s also outlasted many. Ask anyone in crypto, and they’ll tell you: he’s not just a CEO. He’s a symbol. Of risk, resilience, and the rare kind of gut instinct that changes industries.
And to think, it all started with one bold bet and a tiny Shanghai apartment.
Moral of the story? Sometimes you don’t just invest in a coin. You invest in a belief. And if you’re CZ, that belief might just turn into a multi-billion-dollar empire.
