CZ says YZi Labs’ crypto winter bets may outperform

Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said on Sept. 4 that YZi Labs’ recent investments could become some of the firm’s best performers because they were made during a broad crypto market downturn.

YZi Labs’ investment focus

YZi Labs, the rebranded successor to Binance Labs, manages more than $10 billion and invests across Web3, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. The firm operates independently from Binance and runs the EASY Residency incubation program for early‑stage founders.

Recent disclosed investments

• RoboForce – $52 million financing round led by YZi Labs in March, raising total funding to $67 million. The robotics company builds AI‑driven industrial robots for sectors such as solar power, data centers, manufacturing, mining and logistics.
• BitGo – Investment around the digital‑asset custodian’s January NYSE listing. Amount and terms were not disclosed.
• Predict.fun – Follow‑on investment announced in April alongside Susquegna Crypto. The prediction‑market platform reported over $1.8 billion in cumulative trading volume.
• AEON – $8 million pre‑seed round led by YZi Labs in May. AEON is developing a settlement layer that lets AI agents execute and settle payments on blockchain and real‑world systems.
• TermMax – Strategic investment in August; the fixed‑rate lending protocol has raised more than $8 million across its rounds.

CZ’s performance outlook

Zhao argued that investing at the “depth of the crypto winter” could yield higher future returns if the selected companies survive and grow. He noted that lower market valuations can provide better entry prices, but no verified performance data or valuation metrics have been released for these holdings.

Market context

Crypto valuations were under pressure in the first half of 2026, with Bitcoin trading near $79,945 on Sept. 6, well below its prior peaks. The recovery in Bitcoin’s price does not directly indicate the performance of YZi Labs’ private investments.

What remains unknown

YZi Labs has not disclosed entry valuations, individual investment amounts, equity stakes, or any realized returns for the listed companies. Without such data, Zhao’s prediction cannot be independently verified.