Behind the $500M Musk Investment: Supporting Free Speech, Minimal Communication
Responding to questions about Elon Musk, CZ disclosed that the well-known $500 million investment in X (formerly Twitter) started in 2022, originally planned for May but eventually closed in October. Many doubted X was worth $44 billion at the time, but CZ believed in supporting strong entrepreneurs. He emphasized that monetary freedom requires free speech, and X is a crucial platform for that. Despite the large investment, CZ and Musk exchange only a few messages per year on average, meeting only when necessary. When X launched X Money, CZ messaged Musk asking about partnership; Musk replied that X Money handles only fiat currencies and would not touch crypto. CZ still hopes X can become a global payment platform breaking national boundaries, arguing that money should not be divided by country.
Regulatory Struggles and Reflection: 'Ask Forgiveness' to Blocking US Users
Regarding Binance's early regulatory strategy, CZ admitted he once followed Richard Branson's philosophy of 'it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.' After US government charges, he reflected that if building a platform now, he would directly block all US users without a license and pursue proper channels with one. He flew to the US voluntarily to resolve the case, expecting at most a few months of home confinement, but ended up in prison. The worst psychological pressure before prison was uncertainty—Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported he would become the wealthiest person ever incarcerated in the US, and his lawyer warned he would be a prime extortion target.
Prison Survival: Joining a Gang for Protection and Funding Prison Professor
In prison, CZ faced no extortion. He took advice from a former inmate consultant and immediately joined the Pacific Islanders gang (half Asian), gaining protection. When asked about his wealth, he would laugh it off. After release, CZ began funding the Prison Professor project founded by Michael Santos, donating $500,000 every six months, totaling $2 million over four transfers. Michael was sentenced to 45 years for drug trafficking, served 26, and now helps prisoners educate themselves before release. CZ believes the justice system is imperfect and many inmates should not be there. He allowed Michael to incorporate Binance Academy content into prison education to help inmates adapt to life after release.
European Regulatory Hurdles: Greece Rejection Is a Lose-Lose
On the Greece regulatory incident, CZ confirmed that at least one or two regulators were ready to approve Binance's MiCA application, but other political factors intervened, leading to withdrawal. He considers Greece's rejection a loss for both Binance and Europe. He cited Binance's experience in Japan: warned in 2018, invited back in 2022 with a license, and full license in 2023 with SoftBank Japan as a major shareholder. Singapore also posed difficulties. CZ concluded that European politics are complex, but countries with forward-looking crypto regulation will benefit, and others will self-correct. Binance.US remained an independent entity, never involved in the US government dispute, and held licenses in the US.
AI in Daily Life: Most Uses Kimi Free Version, AI to Accelerate Development and Security
CZ revealed that his most-used AI tool is Kimi—simpler, cheaper, faster, and available everywhere. He tried using AI to clean his Gmail spam but gave up because the AI couldn't distinguish important requests. He estimates AI can increase coding efficiency by 20% to 50%, but advises programmers to review every line of code. CZ believes AI excels at finding vulnerabilities; for example, an AI scanning binance.com could detect flaws earlier than humans, improving industry security. On quantum attack risks, he recommends hot wallets, multi-signature, isolation techniques, and constant code wallet upgrades.
Bitcoin Forecast: $1 Million by 2033 Possible; AI Needs Crypto Capital
CZ remains extremely bullish on Bitcoin. He notes Bitcoin closely follows a four-year cycle, currently in a crypto winter with a 50% drawdown from its all-time high—normal. Regarding specific price predictions, he finds it difficult to pinpoint a time and price, but points out that as market cap grows, volatility decreases. He offers a simple projection: last cycle's 2x gain, next cycle could reach 5x to $500K–$600K; the following cycle (around 2033) would only need 2x to hit $1 million. He emphasizes that AI needs funding, which will use crypto, so AI won't replace crypto but accelerate it. He also supports a multi-chain ecosystem, believing 10–20 or even hundreds of innovative blockchains are beneficial, though millions are unnecessary.
When asked how he wants to be remembered, CZ quoted President Trump's nickname for him—'Crypto Guy'—and said he is happy to be remembered as a crypto person.
