Binance CEO: 4 Months in Prison, $4 Billion Fine, and What Comes Next
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  February 10, 2026 at 12:01 UTC  |  1:57:24  |  All-In Podcast
Speakers
Changpeng Zhao (CZ) — Founder & Former CEO, Binance
Chamath Palihapitiya — Host, All-In Podcast / CEO, Social Capital

Summary

  • CZ details his 4-month prison sentence, describing it as a "low security" facility where he was grouped by ethnicity for safety, highlighting the massive scale and cost of the US prison system.
  • The discussion pivots heavily to the US regulatory environment, noting a shift from the "hostile" Biden administration (which CZ claims "declared war on crypto") to a new administration that represents a "180-degree change" favorable to the industry.
  • CZ identifies three major technological waves in his life: The Internet, Bitcoin, and now AI. He believes the intersection of AI and Crypto is inevitable because AI agents cannot use traditional banking rails (KYC/AML friction).
  • Binance's resilience is highlighted; despite a $4B fine and the CEO stepping down, the platform remains the global liquidity leader. CZ suggests his pardon may pave the way for Binance to properly enter the US market.
Trade Ideas
Ticker Direction Speaker Thesis Time
LONG Changpeng Zhao
Founder & Former CEO, Binance
CZ states the Biden administration "declared war on crypto" and was "hostile," but the new incoming administration represents a "180-degree change." He notes that for the US to be the crypto capital, it cannot exclude the largest players. The regulatory headwinds that suppressed crypto valuations and stifled US-based innovation are turning into tailwinds. A friendly DOJ/SEC environment reduces legal risk premiums for major assets and US-domiciled exchanges. LONG. The removal of existential regulatory threat is a massive repricing event for the entire sector. The new administration fails to pass concrete legislative frameworks; regulatory clarity takes longer than anticipated.
LONG Changpeng Zhao
Founder & Former CEO, Binance
CZ argues that in the near future, millions of AI agents will transact on behalf of humans. He explicitly states, "Agents cannot use banks... banks won't onboard and AML/KYC an agent." Traditional finance (TradFi) relies on identity (KYC). AI agents are software. Therefore, AI agents *must* use permissionless, programmable money (Crypto) to function. This creates a massive, non-human source of transaction volume and demand for high-throughput blockchains and stablecoins. LONG. This is a structural demand shock. Assets that facilitate high-frequency, low-cost machine-to-machine payments will capture this value. AI development slows down; agents use closed-loop internal credits instead of public blockchains.
WATCH Changpeng Zhao
Founder & Former CEO, Binance
Chamath states he is not a Bitcoin maximalist because it lacks fungibility and privacy. CZ agrees, noting that "Bitcoin and most cryptocurrencies do not have enough privacy features" and that "no one is really focusing on [privacy] right now" among the big caps. As crypto adoption grows, the "public ledger" problem (everyone seeing your net worth/location) becomes a blocker for mainstream commerce and safety. There is a market gap for a privacy solution that is scalable and compliant enough to exist. WATCH. The speakers identify a critical product-market gap, but do not name a specific winner. Investors should look for protocols solving on-chain privacy (e.g., ZK-proofs) that can still satisfy regulatory requirements. Privacy coins are often the first target of regulators (delistings); technology is complex and computationally expensive.
BNB
LONG Changpeng Zhao
Founder & Former CEO, Binance
Despite the $4B fine and CZ's imprisonment, Binance remains the largest liquidity pool in the world. CZ mentions that his pardon might be a signal that allows Binance to "enter the US in a proper way." The market had priced in existential risk for Binance (collapse/shutdown). The survival of the platform, combined with the resolution of the DOJ case and a potential path to US compliance, removes the "death discount" from BNB. If Binance re-enters the US, volume and utility for BNB increase. LONG. The "survival event" has passed, and the asset is now a play on global liquidity dominance. Further regulatory actions from other jurisdictions; loss of market share to compliant competitors like Coinbase. 10:37