Dubai Blockchain Week
Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, will make his first public appearance at Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai, set for October 30-31, following his complete withdrawal from the company earlier this year. In a post on October 10, Zhao announced he would be attending this major web3 event in a personal capacity.
“I will be attending the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai on Oct 30-31, in my capacity. It’s one of the biggest web3 events of the year. See you there. ✊” — CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance)
Crypto Community Eager for Zhao’s Insights
Zhao’s announcement has generated significant excitement in the crypto community, with industry leaders eager to hear his thoughts. Notably, Tron founder Justin Sun was among the first to welcome Zhao back into the public eye.
This will be Zhao’s first appearance since pleading guilty to violations of U.S. anti-money laundering regulations, which resulted in a $50 million fine. Binance has faced a monumental settlement of $4.3 billion, marking one of the largest corporate settlements in U.S. history. As part of this settlement, Zhao resigned as CEO and served four months in prison before his release in late September, after which he stepped away entirely from Binance operations, according to CNF reports.
Despite these challenges, Zhao retains a 90% ownership stake in Binance, maintaining his position as one of the wealthiest figures in the crypto industry with an estimated net worth of $61 billion.
What to Expect at Binance Blockchain Week
The upcoming Binance Blockchain Week 2024 aims to build on the success of last year’s Istanbul event. The theme will focus on “momentum,” addressing the current state and ongoing challenges within the crypto industry. Discussions will center on how the sector can uphold its decentralized values while navigating evolving regulations and opportunities for interactive sessions and workshops on new blockchain tools and platforms.
Prominent speakers at the event will include Nansen CEO Alex Svanevik, Sotheby’s Vice President of Digital Art Michael Bouhanna, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire, and Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, in addition to Zhao.
As reported by CNF, Zhao has indicated his future focus will shift towards investments in blockchain, AI, and biotech.
