CZ Year-End Q&A Summary: What else is he planning besides Giggle Academy?

Original Author: Lianyan Society, Crypto KOL

Editor's Note: On the evening of December 18, Binance founder CZ participated in the year-end Q&A event hosted by BNB Chain. During the event, he shared his views on various topics including amnesty, investment philosophy, stablecoins, and RWA. This article is a summary compiled by crypto KOL Lianyan Society, and the original text is as follows:

Has CZ returned? Not entirely.

After resigning as CEO of Binance, CZ made a rare appearance at the recent BNB Chain annual AMA. Without the CEO title, he spoke more openly.

There was a lot of information regarding 2026, AI payments, and his current "free" life.

I have summarized 7 core insights, with the last one being particularly poignant for entrepreneurs.

1. About Retirement Life: Freedom is the Greatest Luxury

CZ candidly expressed that his biggest feeling now is Free. Although retired, he has not stopped working. He is far from idle, focusing his energy on four main things:

1. Giggle Academy: A completely free educational platform, which is now his pet project.

2. YZi Labs: Acting as a mentor and coach, helping entrepreneurs avoid pitfalls (not just providing funding).

3. BNB Chain: While not involved in technical details, he still oversees the overall direction.

4. Government Advisor: This is quite interesting; he is helping a dozen countries, including those in the Middle East and Pakistan, design regulatory frameworks. This also occupies a significant portion of his time.

CZ also mentioned that he maintains a regular lifestyle, insisting on about 30-40 minutes of exercise daily and trying more outdoor sports.

From building a foundation to setting rules, this transformation is quite steady.

2. The Invisible Growth of BNB Chain

Many people feel that BNB Chain is no longer attractive? The data might contradict that:

• Transaction volume increased by 600% year-on-year.

• Daily active users (DAU) surpassed 2 million.

• Even with CZ stepping back, Binance's user count has still exceeded 300 million.

The ecosystem of BNB is like the total value of Nasdaq-listed companies far exceeding that of the Nasdaq trading platform itself.

Despite significant growth in the crypto market, from a global wealth penetration perspective, the proportion of crypto assets is still less than 1%, indicating several orders of magnitude of growth potential in the future.

CZ's summary of the past is quite insightful: boxing in a marathon. One needs both the endurance of long-distance running and the high-frequency combat capability. This is much harder than merely chasing short-term rankings.

3. Prediction Markets: A Blooming Landscape, Not a Horse Race Mechanism

Recently, prediction markets have become very popular (PolyMarket won big in the U.S. elections). Many competitors have emerged on BNB Chain as well. CZ's stance is: no internal competition in a horse race. Labs will not bet on just one but will allow the market to compete naturally. It is still too early to talk about who the winner is; expanding the pie is the hard truth.

4. Stablecoin 2.0: Yield is Key

If stablecoins do not earn interest, they are products of the 1.0 era (like Tether). CZ believes the core of Stablecoin 2.0 is: earning interest + transaction convenience. Models like Ethena (USDe), which can both earn yield and be circulated, are the future. With compliance coming into play, stablecoins will encounter more opportunities, ultimately determined by users and the market.

5. AI + Crypto: The Most Certain Alpha

This point is very important! CZ believes AI Agents will be the largest user group for crypto payments. The logic is simple: robots cannot open bank accounts, pass KYC, or swipe credit cards. Crypto is the only economic interaction method for AI. There are huge opportunities in on-chain payment networks designed specifically for AI.

6. RWA: National-Level Entry

When we talk about RWA (Real World Assets on-chain), CZ is already discussing it with heads of state. Many resource-rich countries (oil, rare earths) have money but lack liquidity. The tokenization of national resources is becoming a serious topic. This is not just about financing; it is about activating the liquidity of national-level assets. The narrative level of this track has changed.

7. Advice for Entrepreneurs: Don’t Be a Speculator

CZ's current investment standard is only one: Mission-driven.

Want to make 10 million and run? ❌ He is not interested in such people now.

Switching fields every few months? ❌ Lacking determination.

For tech experts wanting to change careers, his advice is practical: first become top-notch in technology, then work on emotional intelligence (EQ). Because the essence of business ultimately revolves around interpersonal networks. (8/9)

Summary: Crossing Cycles

After listening to the entire AMA, it feels like CZ has changed, becoming more transcendent and more focused on the macro.

As he said, whether it's AI or SocialFi, regardless of who is first now, Keep Building is the only path to cross cycles. Nvidia sat on the sidelines for 40 years before exploding; why rush?

2026 belongs to the long-distance runners.

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