Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao used an look at Blockchain Summit 2026 to push again sharply towards what he described as a brand new wave of deceptive mainstream protection, arguing that latest reporting about his wealth and alleged hyperlinks to Iran-related illicit finance rests on false premises and recycled hostility towards crypto.
Within the interview, Zhao mentioned the problem isn’t merely robust press, however what he sees as a sample of narratives constructed on claims that don’t maintain up. “A few of the issues the media say as we speak about me are simply utterly off,” he mentioned. “Forbes tries to color me as richer, getting richer over the past six months, which isn’t doable. I don’t understand how they made that calculation.”
He then turned to the extra critical accusation: “The Wall Road Journal says I’m by some means attempting to facilitate terrorist financing in Iran. I’ve zero curiosity in doing that. I reside in a rustic that’s being attacked by Iran, proper? And even earlier than that, I used to be simply not all for that.”
JUST IN: BILLIONAIRE CZ JUST ABSOLUTELY SLAMMED THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA FOR PUSHING FUD AGAINST #BITCOIN, CRYPTO, AND BINANCE
“THEY USE FALSE AND BASELESS INFORMATION”
“THEY SAY WE TRY TO FACILITATE TERRORISM”
“THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT.” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TDGjcAfX7o
— The Bitcoin Historian (@pete_rizzo_) March 18, 2026
Why Binance’s CZ Blasts Media FUD
These remarks got here days after Forbes revealed its 2026 billionaire rating estimating Zhao’s fortune at roughly $110 billion, sufficient to position him above Invoice Gates and mark a roughly $47 billion improve from the prior 12 months. Zhao publicly disputed the determine, saying the maths made little sense in a 12 months when crypto costs had already fallen sharply from their highs.
In a put up on X, he wrote: “Crypto costs dropped by greater than 50% in 2026 already. And my web value went up? Want they’ll apply some widespread sense and fundamental logic.”
For Zhao, that estimate seems to have change into a logo of a broader grievance: that mainstream retailers nonetheless desire extremes when overlaying crypto figures, whether or not which means overstating paper wealth throughout bull-market extrapolations or attaching the trade’s greatest names to the darkest doable compliance narrative.
Within the summit interview, he advised the incentives behind these assaults are “considerably comprehensible,” however mentioned the reporting itself is “utterly utilizing false, baseless data. He added: “There’s no profit. Like, they don’t generate buying and selling charges. There’s no profit. So all this narrative, they’re simply, like, you already know, they latch on to one thing adverse. They only wish to assault. So there’s numerous misconceptions on the market.”
Notably, the Iran problem is extra consequential. Zhao was responding to Wall Road Journal reporting that Binance had been tied to an inner investigation involving a $1 billion switch allegedly linked to Iran-backed terror teams. Binance answered with a defamation lawsuit filed on March 11, accusing the Journal and Dow Jones of falsely claiming that the change ended the probe, did not act on the findings and punished compliance workers for elevating issues.
The controversy didn’t cease with the lawsuit. Senator Richard Blumenthal opened a preliminary inquiry after citing stories from the Wall Road Journal, the New York Instances and Fortune. In a public letter, he mentioned Binance compliance workers had recognized Iranian-linked accounts and alleged transfers totaling $1.7 billion by way of intermediaries, claims Binance disputes.
That historical past additionally explains why the allegations landed with drive. Binance and Zhao stay beneath an unusually intense highlight after the change’s 2023 responsible plea and $4.3 billion US settlement over anti-money-laundering and sanctions failures. Zhao stepped down as CEO as a part of that decision and later served a four-month jail sentence.
At press time, Binance Coin (BNB) traded at $643.49.
Featured picture created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Editorial Course of for bitcoinist is centered on delivering totally researched, correct, and unbiased content material. We uphold strict sourcing requirements, and every web page undergoes diligent assessment by our crew of high expertise consultants and seasoned editors. This course of ensures the integrity, relevance, and worth of our content material for our readers.