ChainCatcher reported that Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, joined the Galaxy Brains podcast for an interview with Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy. During the conversation, CZ said he no longer operates an exchange platform, which gives him more time to communicate with developers. He also said he is excited about several new features being developed for BNB Chain, including work on the network’s next version.
BNB Chain’s Next Version Focuses on Speed, Cost and Privacy Controls
According to CZ, the next version of BNB Chain is being developed to be faster and cheaper, while also adding more privacy controls. He connected this discussion to the timing of blockchain upgrades, advising developers not to carry out major upgrades during bull markets. Instead, he said large updates should be pushed forward when bear markets are quieter, making such periods more suitable for substantial technical changes.
RWA Growth Has Moved Faster Than CZ Previously Expected
CZ also addressed real-world assets, or RWA. He said that one to one and a half years ago he had been skeptical of the sector, and was unsure whether such assets would attract trading activity or whether the category could develop meaningfully. However, he said the speed of RWA development surprised him. In his view, stablecoins, oil futures and AI stocks have all seen good acceptance within the crypto community.
He said that this level of acceptance shows that many people around the world already wanted access to these assets. The traction of RWA products inside the crypto community has therefore changed how he views the link between blockchain-based markets and real-world assets, while also pointing to user demand for access to different categories of financial instruments.
Looking at finance more broadly, CZ said crypto should not be viewed as an isolated industry. Instead, he described it as a new technology tool that can make financial transactions faster, cheaper and more transparent. He said traditional financial institutions can use blockchain, while crypto companies can also provide services similar to traditional finance, including loans, savings, stock trading, remittances and payments. In his view, the future should not be defined by a clear boundary between traditional finance and crypto, but by a more global, faster and lower-cost financial industry.