Journalist
Hassan Shittu
Journalist
Hassan Shittu
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Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has denied reports that his family office, YZi Labs, is preparing to raise outside capital.
Zhao issued the rebuttal on X on Monday, calling a Financial Times article on the matter “completely false” and filled with “made-up info and negative narratives.”
The FT report had suggested that YZi Labs, which was established in January to manage Zhao’s personal wealth, was considering opening its $10 billion investment vehicle to external backers in the future.
Citing comments from YZi Labs chief executive Ella Zhang, the newspaper said the firm could become an external fund once it had matured its internal capabilities.
Zhang was quoted as saying there was steady interest from outside investors and that bringing in new capital would represent a “huge responsibility.”
YZi Labs Operates Independently, Has Not Sought External Capital, Says Zhao
In response, Zhao said that YZi Labs has never prepared a pitch deck, held a demo, or engaged in fundraising discussions since its rebranding earlier this year.
He also rejected the claim that the company was spun out of Binance, insisting it operates independently. “As far as I know: YZiLabs is not raising external fund,” Zhao wrote. “There has been no demo, no requests, no discussions.”
Zhao further pushed back on the FT’s characterization of his U.S. legal settlement, in which he pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. He said the case concerned failure to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program and should not be equated with “money laundering violations,” as the report had framed it.
YZi Labs currently manages Zhao’s capital along with funds from a small circle of early Binance executives, including co-founder Yi He. The firm invests mainly in cryptocurrency start-ups but has also backed projects in artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
In 2022, it briefly accepted around $300 million from outside investors before returning part of that money.
The FT report noted that if YZi Labs eventually admitted U.S. investors, the firm would face heightened regulatory oversight, particularly as policymakers in Washington signal a more accommodative approach to digital assets.
Zhao, however, emphasized that no such move is under way. He also criticized the media outlet for what he described as misleading coverage, adding that he had declined an invitation for a lunch interview, which was later attended by Zhang. “It was a trap!” he wrote on X.
At present, YZi Labs employs a 12-person team focused on long-term investment horizons rather than short-term returns.
YZi Labs Backs Avalon and Ethena as Part of New Investment Strategy
In January, Binance Labs, the venture arm of crypto exchange Binance, rebranded as YZi Labs, showing a shift toward broader investment horizons.
The firm, co-led by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and longtime partner Ella Zhang, now focuses on blockchain, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, while retaining ties to the Binance ecosystem.
Zhao, who stepped back from his exchange role last year, said the transition reflects his long-term vision to support technologies with societal and environmental impact.
“I’m a long-term investor who cares about impact, not returns,” he noted, adding that YZi Labs will continue incubating Web3 projects while expanding into new sectors.
The firm has already backed high-profile ventures. In May, it invested in Avalon Labs, a Bitcoin DeFi platform developing BTC-backed lending, a stablecoin known as USDa, and credit services. The project currently manages over 20,000 BTC and more than $500 million in total value locked.
Notably, in August, the firm said it made a strategic investment in USD.AI, a stablecoin protocol designed to bring infrastructure finance (InfraFi) on-chain by providing hardware-backed credit to AI operators.
YZi Labs also expanded its position in Ethena Labs, the protocol behind USDe, now the third-largest U.S. dollar-pegged crypto asset with $13 billion locked.
The renewed funding will accelerate integration across exchanges and DeFi platforms while supporting new products, including a compliant stablecoin and an institutional settlement layer.
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