After stepping down, Changpeng Zhao has actually been even more active than when he was CEO.

Many people thought he would fade out of the industry, but the reality is the complete opposite—this former exchange leader is now playing a much bigger game. After handing over day-to-day operations to the duo of He Yi and Richard Teng, he’s freed himself up to focus on three major things.

First, there’s the BNB Chain “Prairie Fire Plan.” It’s not just about bringing business back to the US; he’s even declared that he wants to help the US reclaim the title of “crypto capital.” The approach is straightforward: use the ecosystem to attract global capital and projects onto the chain, making this public chain a true connector. The ambition is clear.

The second thing is even more surprising—he’s proactively reaching out to regulators. In the past, everyone in this industry tried to avoid them if they could. But now, he’s going everywhere, engaging with institutions in various countries, trying to help the entire sector tackle the tough challenge of “compliance frameworks.” He’s changed his attitude fast.

The most unexpected move is in education. The Giggle Academy project has already provided free classes to 80,000 kids, and they’re working on multilingual versions, even preparing to open up tools so users can create their own courses. In his view, this is more meaningful than just giving money to charity—plant the seeds now, and you’ll see the results in ten years.

When talking about the industry’s future, his goal is straightforward: make crypto payments as smooth as sending a WeChat message, with fiat and digital currencies seamlessly interchangeable. It sounds great, but there are three hurdles to clear first: unified regulatory standards, willingness from traditional finance to connect, and supporting infrastructure keeping up.

He also offered a reminder to entrepreneurs: don’t chase hype—what rises fast falls even faster. The ones who survive rely on their product and long-term thinking. As for outside noise? His strategy is to only listen to constructive feedback; positive feedback from users is the real source of motivation.

Transforming from a manager to an evangelist, this shift has really upended a lot of people’s perceptions. Do you think what he’s doing now can bring real change to the crypto industry?