2018 10 04T160021Z_1594229591_RC1364CE96F0_RTRMADP_3_MALTA CRYPTOCURRENCY.JPG
Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao.
REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi
binance ceo changpeng zhao
Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance.
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One of the most prominent people in the industry is Zhao, who is also the wealthiest person in the industry.

There has been a toll on the industry due to the winter. His net worth peaked earlier this year at $95.9 billion, but his real-time estimated net worth is much lower.

According to a Forbes report, Zhao's interest in cryptocurrencies began when he first heard about it. He was the head of development at the start of his career.

The biggestcryptocurrencies exchange by trading volume was founded by the man. The exchange handles a lot of trading volume. The company generated over 20 billion dollars in revenue. It's bigger than the four biggest competitors combined.

Insider did not get a response from the two people.

Nanjing, Suzhou, China.
Nanjing, Suzhou, China.
Fang Daqing/VCG/Getty Images

According to Forbes, a Chinese-Canadian named Zhao moved toVancouver with his family in the late 1980's.

The professor who was exiled to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution in China was Zhao's father.

His family had to wait in line for three days to get visas. He said he was fortunate to have been able to leave.

The University of British Columbia is where she wants to get a doctorate degree. After the Tiananmen Square protests, Zhao and his family moved to Canada.

He experienced food rationing when he was a child. In an interview with Fortune in March, Zhao said that you get a ticket to buy meat. It wasn't until he moved to Canada that he drank fresh milk because it was so rare in China.

McGill University.
McGill University.
JHVEPhoto/iStock/Getty Images

The $14,000 286 DOS computer that his father bought when he was in his teens was one of the reasons why Zhao was interested in technology. When he was 16 years old, Zhao took programming classes in high school and began coding.

After graduating from university, he worked on the Tokyo Exchange and the Tradebook. He was promoted three times in less than two years to manage teams in New Jersey, London and Tokyo.

In 2005, Zhao left the corporate world to become a partner at Fusion Systems. He left the company in December of last year.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Binance fifth anniversary event in Paris, France, July 8, 2022.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Binance fifth anniversary event in Paris, France, July 8, 2022.
Staff/Reuters

It's not a complete picture of the wealth of Zhao, who is believed to be worth $30.6 billion. It wasn't included in his net worth because the amount is not public.

According to a September report, Zhao has holdings in two cryptocurrencies. According to an estimate from Zhao, Binance had over 90 million users in the year 2020.

When it was just $600 a unit, Zhao bought $1 million worth of the digital currency.

Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance, speaks at the Delta Summit, Malta's official Blockchain and Digital Innovation event promoting cryptocurrency, in St Julian's, Malta October 4, 2018.
Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance.
REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

The New York Times reported that $570 million worth of cryptocurrencies was stolen in October. In an interview with CNBC in October, Zhao said that "software code is never bug free." One of the biggest hacks of all time was done by the Binance.

In the event of a hack, the funds will be frozen, according to the post. A series of on-chain governance votes would be used to make the decision. Users would be incentivized to report bugs if abug bounty reward system is implemented.

The company has ties to China. According to an article by Protos, the Chinese currency trading pairs on the exchange were de listed in 2021. The Chinese authorities banned all transactions related to cryptocurrencies.

In a post published in September, he said that the company does not operate like a Chinese company. He said that he is a Canadian.

Iran-based users were allowed to trade cryptocurrencies on the exchange despite US sanctions. Seven traders continued to use the account after the ban even though they were told to liquidate their accounts in November of last year. When asked about it at the time, Binance did not reply.

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