Binance Founder CZ Spoke About the Future of BNB: “Institutional Investors Have Been Unable to Access BNB for a Long Time”

At the Consensus Miami 2026 conference, Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, unveiled a potential plan to revive the Binance.US platform, aiming to bridge the liquidity gap for American cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Zhao underscored the disparity in market liquidity, noting that the most robust trading volumes are concentrated outside the United States, resulting in suboptimal pricing for US-based investors. As the CEO of the industry's most liquid cryptocurrency exchange, Zhao expressed his desire to extend Binance's unparalleled market depth to US customers, possibly through the reinstatement of Binance.US or an alternative solution.

These remarks come on the heels of Zhao's tumultuous past, marked by his resignation as Binance CEO in 2023, guilty pleas in US court cases, and a subsequent four-month prison sentence. Following his release in 2024, Zhao received a pardon from US President Donald Trump in the preceding year. Meanwhile, JPMorgan has announced a strategic plan that could involve allocating $30 billion to Bitcoin investments this year.

Under the guidance of CEO Stephen Gregory, Binance.US is reportedly poised for expansion, with plans to venture into derivatives and prediction markets, complementing its existing spot trading services. Zhao observed that the US has undergone a significant shift in its approach to cryptocurrency regulation over the past 18 months, emerging as a global leader in regulatory frameworks. He cited the CLARITY Act as a notable example of market structure regulation, which has prompted developers to reconsider the US as a viable hub, after having previously relocated to destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Singapore due to regulatory pressures.

Zhao also highlighted the challenges institutional investors have faced in accessing the $BNB token, suggesting that this could present an opportunity for increased adoption. According to Zhao, a potential influx of institutional capital into $BNB could have a profoundly positive impact on the token's prospects. Furthermore, Zhao envisions $BNB Chain as a foundational payment infrastructure for AI agents, emphasizing that "$BNB Chain should be the agents' currency."