Miami — Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said the relaunch of Binance.US is a possible path to give US crypto traders access to better prices.
Binance wants to help US users restore access to global crypto liquidity, CZ said, citing a possible revival of Binance.US as a path forward after years of limited engagement in the US market.
“The best liquidity in crypto is outside of the United States,” CZ said at Consensus Miami 2026. “Crypto is one of the very few markets where the United States does not have access to the best prices.”
“I think in our ecosystem, Binance has the best liquidity in this market,” he continued. “We would love to be able to provide that in some way, either by revitalizing Binance.US or by providing the United States with the world’s best liquidity and consumer prices.”
These comments come two years after CZ resigned as CEO of Binance and pleaded guilty to numerous charges in the United States. Zhao was later sentenced to four months in prison, released in 2024 and pardoned by President Donald Trump last year.
Binance.US is plotting a comeback under CEO Stephen Gregory, with plans to expand beyond spot crypto trading into derivatives and prediction markets.
CZ said U.S. policy toward crypto has “changed over the last year and a half or so,” prompting him to spend more time with U.S. builders, regulators and policymakers. He said the United States is now “leading the world in terms of crypto policies,” citing market structure legislation including the CLARITY Act.
The United States still lacks access to the most liquidity, he said, even as crypto developers and companies return after years of regulatory pressure.
“Many Americans have left,” Zhao said. “They went to Abu Dhabi, to Hong Kong, to Singapore. A lot of developers left, and then they’re coming back now.”
Zhao also called BNB Chain underexposed in the United States after years of limited domestic activity. He said the network now has a construction house in New York, a small presence in San Francisco and increased investment activity in the United States through YZi Labs.
YZi Labs, formerly Binance Labs, was renamed last year and Zhao is taking a more active investment role. The company then introduced a billion-dollar fund for BNB chain projects.
“BNB in particular hasn’t had a lot of visibility in the US, … Other layer 1 blockchains have done a lot more marketing, community building, home building, etc., in the US.”
Zhao said U.S. institutions had limited access to BNB until recently, leaving the token behind other major cryptocurrencies in exchange-traded products and institutional distribution.
“Institutions’ lack of access to BNB is actually an opportunity for BNB investors,” Zhao said. “When institutions come into play, it’s usually better for the token.”
Zhao also said that AI agents will need cryptographic rails to transact with each other, arguing that blockchains are better suited than credit cards or banking rails for automated cross-border payments.
“Credit cards don’t have an API,” Zhao said. “The most native thing the agent can use is obviously a blockchain.”
He added that BNB Chain should position itself as a payment infrastructure for AI agents, although he said the market is still in its early stages. “BNB Chain should only be agents’ money,” he said.
