Key highlights:
- CZ indicates he will not return as Binance CEO even after President Trump’s pardon lifted previous restrictions on his role.
- He maintains that Binance is growing under two new CEOs, with more than 300 million users and trillions in annual trading volume.
- Zhao forecasts that Bitcoin could enter a 2026 supercycle and potentially break its traditional four‑year boom‑and‑bust pattern.
Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao has definitively ruled out returning as CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s pardon. He has said that the clemency removed prior restrictions on his activities but did not alter his view that his time at the helm of Binance is over.
Zhao has indicated that the pardon completely lifted earlier constraints on his business activities, yet he sees no reason to resume day‑to‑day control of the company. He has stated that he does not need to go back and does not want to, and that leaving Binance after seven years was, in his view, an appropriate way to step aside.
A candid conversation from Davos – on prison, pardon, and what freedom means going forward.
Full interview on @CNBC with @andrewrsorkin. Focused on building what’s next. pic.twitter.com/x94llJFac2
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) January 25, 2026
The former CEO has acknowledged that stepping away from the exchange was initially painful. Over time, however, he became comfortable with a more hands‑off role.
He has argued that his return would not be the right move and that other strong leaders should have the opportunity to develop. In his view, leadership succession is healthy for a company of Binance’s size, and he has framed his exit as a natural turning point rather than a temporary break.
In November 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti‑money‑laundering program at Binance and later received a four‑month prison sentence. As part of the outcome, he was barred from overseeing the exchange, even though he remained its largest shareholder.
Trump’s October pardon drew criticism from some U.S. lawmakers. They questioned potential conflicts of interest given Binance’s past links to crypto ventures associated with the Trump family.
Binance thrives under new leaders
In a December open letter, CEO Richard Teng and longtime Binance executive Yi He reported that the exchange’s user base had surpassed 300 million worldwide. They also highlighted a total trading volume of around 34 trillion dollars across all products for the year.
These figures underscored Binance’s continued scale despite regulatory scrutiny and leadership changes. The message from management was that the business model remains resilient.
Zhao has said that the company does not currently need an outside adviser. He characterizes himself as a fairly passive shareholder and notes that when he wants to offer advice, he simply shares his views on his X account.
He has emphasized that public markets, users, and regulators now play a larger role in shaping Binance’s behavior than any single individual. In his telling, the exchange has moved beyond founder‑centric governance.
Bitcoin supercycle hopes for 2026
Despite the current pullback in cryptocurrency prices and a softer mood among traders, Zhao believes Bitcoin may be on the verge of a new kind of bull phase. He predicts that the asset could enter a supercycle within the next 12 months, potentially making 2026 a standout year.
I could be wrong, but Super Cycle incoming. https://t.co/6TLldEMmGA
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) January 10, 2026
In economics, a supercycle is a prolonged period of exceptional growth in asset prices driven by strong underlying fundamentals over many years. Zhao argues that Bitcoin’s usual four‑year rhythm of post‑halving highs followed by deep corrections may not hold this time.
He notes that, historically, Bitcoin has tended to follow four‑year cycles. Each such period has typically featured an all‑time high followed by a significant decline.
However, Zhao now considers that the current environment may be different. He believes that, given the pro‑crypto stance of the U.S. and the fact that other countries appear to be moving in a similar direction, the market could see a break in Bitcoin’s traditional four‑year cycle.
In his view, friendlier U.S. policy, broader institutional participation, and growing adoption in regions such as the Middle East and Asia could sustain demand beyond past patterns. These factors, he suggests, form the basis for a possible supercycle.
Source:: CZ Says No Comeback As Binance Boss And Teases A 2026 Bitcoin Supercycle