USDCZ’s Crypto Portfolio Disclosure and New Role at YZi Labs Newest Investment
Binance Founder Holds 98.5% of Portfolio in BNB, Joins YZi Labs as Advisor
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the former CEO of Binance, has revealed his personal cryptocurrency holdings for the first time, confirming an overwhelming allocation to Binance Coin (BNB). In a Binance Square post on February 24, 2025, CZ disclosed that 98.5% of his portfolio is held in BNB, with Bitcoin (BTC) making up just 1.3%. He also holds small amounts of EURI (0.17%), USDT (0.03%), and less than 0.01% in sBTC, an asset he admitted knowing little about.
The revelation came after a user on X (formerly Twitter) prompted him to disclose his holdings. Initially joking about not knowing where to find the “button” to reveal his portfolio, CZ quickly followed up with the details. His relatively low BTC allocation surprised many in the crypto community, particularly given his deep-rooted history in the space. Some also questioned the presence of EURI, a Euro stablecoin, in his holdings, to which CZ speculated it might have originated from past Binance Card transactions.
Despite his vast crypto involvement, CZ confirmed he has never personally used decentralized exchanges (DEXs), a statement that raised eyebrows given Binance’s active role in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector.
His wealth remains closely tied to Binance, though he has disputed external estimates of his net worth. Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index recently placed him at $47.8 billion, ranking him the 31st richest person globally.
CZ has dismissed these figures, stating they do not accurately reflect his actual assets. His financial situation has been under scrutiny since his legal troubles in the U.S., where he pleaded guilty in November 2023 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. He paid a $50 million fine, stepped down as Binance’s CEO, and served a four-month prison sentence, which concluded in September 2024.
CZ’s influence in the crypto market extends beyond his own holdings. In early 2025, he inadvertently triggered a memecoin frenzy by revealing his dog’s name—“Broccoli.” The revelation led to a wave of speculative trading on newly launched BROCCOLI tokens, reminiscent of a previous incident when Binance’s test token, TST, skyrocketed 2,000% after CZ mentioned it. Despite the market hype, he clarified that he does not hold either of these tokens.
His latest venture sees him taking on an advisory role at Vana, a crypto-AI startup backed by YZi Labs, formerly known as Binance Labs. On February 24, 2025, YZi Labs announced its investment in Vana, marking a strategic move into artificial intelligence and data monetization.
While the exact funding amount remains undisclosed, Vana confirmed that YZi Labs was the sole investor in this round, which closed in January 2025. Anna Kazlauskas, Vana’s co-founder, declined to disclose the company’s valuation but highlighted its focus on expanding Data DAOs—decentralized autonomous organizations designed to let users pool and retain control over their data while monetizing AI models built on it.
Vana launched its mainnet in December 2024, along with its native token, VANA, which has since seen a significant price decline. Initially priced at $6.25, the token is now down 78% from its launch, bringing its market capitalization to $243 million and its fully diluted valuation to $947 million, despite a 26% surge in the past 24 hours thanks to the news.
The startup previously raised $25 million in funding from notable investors, including Paradigm, Coinbase Ventures, and Polychain Capital. Now, with YZi Labs’ backing, Vana is pushing forward with its plans to expand the DataDAO ecosystem, introduce new data tokens, and attract more contributors across industries such as finance, social media, healthcare, and mobility.
YZi Labs’ investment in Vana reflects its broader shift beyond Web3, with increasing interest in artificial intelligence and biotech. The firm has previously backed AI-focused crypto startups like Sahara AI and MyShell, reinforcing its commitment to emerging technologies at the intersection of decentralized networks and artificial intelligence.
This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.
