Yi He, the businesswoman who co-founded cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance with its former executive Changpeng Zhao, will be co-CEO of the company, Binance CEO Richard Teng announced Tuesday during Binance Blockchain Week.
Yi He, who served as head of marketing at Binance, has stayed away until now. Unlike Zhou (commonly known as “CZ”), who often appears in public, Yi He chooses to operate quietly, focusing on strategic planning, branding, and business expansion.
Born in 1988 in China, he is widely considered the driving force behind strategy and innovation complementing CZ’s leadership as Binance became the largest crypto exchange on the planet.
A Binance spokesperson said his co-leadership role would also complement the steady hand of Teng, a former regulator, who guided the company through US enforcement actions and the removal of CZ as CEO.
“Yi has been an integral part of the leadership team since Binance’s launch. His innovative, user-centric approach has been instrumental in shaping the company’s vision, culture and bottom-up business strategy,” said Richard Teng, CEO of Binance. “This appointment is a natural progression and will continue to guide the organization from strength to strength.”
“We remain committed to being the world’s most trusted and regulated exchange, always putting our users first. Yi plays a vital role in growing our community and fostering product innovation as we work to reach one billion users. Together, we are focused on building Web3 infrastructure and promoting financial freedom, enabling people to participate in a more open and fair financial system,” Teng added.
“I am honored to work alongside Richard, who brings decades of experience in regulated financial markets and was among the first to regulate crypto in its early days,” said Yi He. “Together, we bring diverse perspectives and are confident in our ability to lead the future of the industry during this pivotal time, as we responsibly expand our global footprint and drive sustainable innovation with our users always at the center.”
