Key highlights:
- Binance strengthens its leadership with the return of a key founding figure
- A new dual-leader structure sparks fresh debate about the exchange’s future
- Yi He’s expanded role raises big questions about strategy and direction
Binance has appointed its co-founder, Yi He, as co-CEO, strengthening the company’s top-level leadership during a pivotal moment for the world’s largest crypto exchange.
Leadership Update:
We are delighted to welcome Binance co-founder @heyibinance into her new role as Co-CEO.
Yi has always played an important role, shaping our culture, driving innovation, and championing a user-first approach across our entire ecosystem.
Her leadership has… pic.twitter.com/CqsuTkb0gc
— Binance (@binance) December 3, 2025
Speaking at Binance Blockchain Week, CEO Richard Teng announced the move and called Yi He “an integral part of the executive team since Binance’s launch.” He described the move as a “natural progression” as the company evolves under a new leadership model.
Dual leadership designed to bring broader perspectives
Previously, Yi He served as Binance’s chief marketing officer, and served as the co-founder of YZi Labs. According to Teng, her appointment brings a valuable entrepreneurial and community-driven perspective to the top of the company.
Binance organizational structure as of March 2025. Source: Rootdata
Yi He explained that sharing strategic responsibilities with Teng will create two distinct yet complementary approaches to leadership.
Teng provides a background in regulated financial markets, while Yi He has remained deeply connected to Binance’s founding vision since 2017, working alongside Changpeng Zhao, one of the richest people in crypto.
Leadership change follows founder’s departure
Richard Teng became CEO in late November 2023 after Changpeng Zhao resigned and pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. Before assuming the top role, Teng managed Binance’s regional markets outside the United States.
In April 2024, Zhao received a four-month prison sentence and was released that September. He later obtained a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in October 2025.
Media reports claim the pardon followed an extensive lobbying campaign costing the company more than $740,000. Trump, defending his decision, argued that Zhao had been “persecuted by the Biden administration” and insisted that “what he did wasn’t even a crime.”
Source:: Binance Strengthens Leadership as Yi He Becomes Co-CEO Alongside Richard Teng