Binance founder CZ says he will not return to crypto exchange after his prison sentence

Zhao Changpeng, co-founder and former CEO of Binance, said he will not return as CEO of the company in his first public appearance after serving a four-month prison sentence in the US.

The 47-year-old Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur, commonly known in the industry by his initials CZ, was sentenced to a California prison in May for failing to take required anti-money laundering measures while heading the world’s largest cryptocurrency stock exchange. He was released in September.

In an interview on Thursday at the Binance Blockchain Week conference, his first public event since leaving prison, Zhao said he will not consider returning to the company he founded in 2017.

“I think the judge treated me very leniently in the eyes of the judge,” Zhao said. “It’s a very subjective opinion, I try not to think about it. I think everyone here will have their own opinion, but I just want to move on.

The crypto billionaire said he would not return to Binance even if he were allowed to. He is currently banned from working in the company under a settlement with the US.

‘I have no desire to go back. “I have no desire to go back,” he said.