The creator of the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Changpeng Zhao "CZ," has addressed claims about his citizenship and ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The claims were made during a recent meeting of the U.S. House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government by House Democrat Stacey Plaskett, a representative from the U.S. Virgin Islands. The hearing centered on Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter and the following publication of "Twitter Files," which revealed the unethical practices of the dominant social media platform.
Plaskett addressed Michael Shellenberger and noted that Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance, is a Chinese national and also happens to possess a $500 million interest in Twitter. She turned to Shellenberger and stated, "He is a Chinese national, even if he holds Canadian citizenship."
Chris Blec, a well-known crypto influencer, objected to Plaskett's description of Zhao as a Chinese citizen. By "not-so-subtly accusing Canadian citizen Changpeng Zhao of being a CCP asset," Blec charged the U.S. legislator of practicing anti-Asian prejudice.
In response to the claims made earlier today, Zhao said that Stacey Plaskett had misrepresented the truth. He made it clear that he hadn't been a Chinese citizen for more than 30 years and that he had never belonged to the CCP. The CEO of Binance also mentioned that all cryptocurrency exchanges have been outlawed in China since 2017 and that he emigrated to Canada when he was 12 years old.