Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance and co-founder of YZi Labs, said he is in talks with “probably a dozen governments” about tokenizing their assets.
Speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, Zhao said he had been engaged with several unnamed countries’ governments as part of efforts related to tokenization. The former CEO said tokenization was a “huge” proven aspect of the crypto industry, along with “exchanges and stablecoins.”
“I’m talking with probably a dozen governments about tokenizing some of their assets, because this way the government can actually realize the financial gains first and use that to develop those industries,” said Zhao.
Zhao has worked directly with government officials in Kyrgyzstan as part of efforts to push the country’s som-pegged stablecoin. The Pakistan Crypto Council, established in March 2025, named Zhao as an adviser, and Malaysian government officials reportedly discussed a potential crypto regulatory framework with him in January 2025.
Related: How Changpeng Zhao regained power between prison and pardon
At Davos, Zhao also highlighted difficulties with adopting crypto payments, noting a convergence between traditional payment methods and using digital assets:
“Payments is something that we have tried and not really conquered, have not really started in crypto. We’ve tried, but nobody really pays in crypto.”
Speculation around CZ potentially returning to Binance
Zhao served four months in prison in 2024 as part of a deal with US authorities related to his failure to implement a proper Anti-Money Laundering program at Binance. He resigned as CEO, and his felony charge and plea agreement would likely have prevented him from assuming a leadership role at the crypto exchange after his sentence.
However, US President Donald Trump pardoned Zhao in October, clearing the way for a possible return to Binance. Zhao said in December that he was “retired,” hinting at no plans to resume working at the crypto exchange.
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