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Binance Founder CZ Released from Prison – Announces New DeFi Project

Emma ChenEmma Chen
9 min read
CRYPTO
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The King Returns

Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance and one of the most influential figures in cryptocurrency, has been released from federal prison after serving just four months of his four-month sentence. The crypto community erupted in celebration as CZ walked free from the low-security facility in California, immediately taking to social media to thank supporters and hint at his next big project. BNB, the native token of the Binance ecosystem, surged 25% in the hours following the announcement, reaching its highest level since the FTX collapse.

A New DeFi Era Begins

In his first post-prison tweet, CZ revealed plans to launch a privacy-focused DeFi exchange that will operate with zero KYC requirements and complete user sovereignty. The project aims to bring the speed and low costs of centralized exchanges to the decentralized world while maintaining absolute user control over funds. CZ emphasized that the lessons learned from Binance's regulatory challenges would inform the new platform's design from day one. The announcement sent DeFi tokens like UNI and AAVE up 15-20% as investors positioned for what could become the next big thing in crypto infrastructure.