Binance founder Changpeng Zhao revisits Taiwan several times in his newly published autobiography, Binance Life, including his 2018 appearance in Taipei at Asia Blockchain Summit (ABS). The book also says he had visited Taiwan multiple times in earlier years to look at the market and regulatory environment.
After the Forbes feature, Zhao headed to Taiwan for ABS
According to the book, Forbes contacted He Yi in January 2018 and wanted to photograph CZ for a feature on rising figures in crypto. Zhao agreed and flew to Hong Kong for the shoot. The image of him in a hoodie became one of the first times many readers saw his face and connected him with Binance. He wrote that the experience stood out for a simple reason: it was the first time in his life he had makeup applied.
Later in 2018, Zhao traveled to Taiwan as an invited guest for ABS. For many people in the local crypto sector, that event was also an early chance to see Binance and its founder presented on a major stage.
A summer stop in Taipei turned into the “flip-flop” moment
Zhao wrote that he arrived in Taipei in July 2018, during the city’s hot and humid season. He said he rushed to the summit wearing flip-flops, and by the time he got there it was already his turn to speak. There was no time to change shoes, so he went on stage as he was. The look spread widely online and drew jokes from KOLs, some of whom described it as “billionaire mode.”
He also noted that this was not the first time he had spoken in flip-flops. In the book, Zhao said there were already photos of him doing that back in 2014, but almost nobody paid attention at smaller crypto events then. In 2018, the reaction was different, and he linked some of that attention to his recent appearance in Forbes coverage.
The memoir also includes two relationships connected to Taiwan
Beyond crypto, the autobiography touches on Zhao’s personal life and mentions two former relationships with Taiwanese women. He wrote that while attending high school in Vancouver, he dated what he described as a kind Taiwanese girl. Later, when he was in university, he said he dated a Taiwanese woman named Amanda during his sophomore year.
Looking back, Zhao said he handled conflict poorly at the time and often escalated minor disagreements into breakup threats. In the book, he admits that he was the unreasonable one in that relationship, while the other side kept making concessions until one day she stopped. He described the memory as a lasting one. By his account, the breakup left him with lessons that later shaped how he approached business negotiations.