Freedom of Money

Q: Who is Changpeng Zhao (CZ)?

Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, is the founder and former CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. He was born in Jiangsu, China, grew up in poverty, immigrated to Canada as a teenager, and studied computer science at McGill University. He founded Binance in 2017 and grew it to over 300 million users and a peak valuation of $100 billion. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to a single Bank Secrecy Act compliance violation and served approximately four months in U.S. federal prison. He was not charged with fraud. No Binance customers lost any funds.

Q: What is Binance?

Binance is the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. It was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and grew to serve over 300 million users globally, offering crypto trading, wallets, staking, and financial services. In 2023, Binance agreed to a $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over Bank Secrecy Act compliance failures — not fraud.

Q: What is the Freedom of Money book about?

Freedom of Money: A Memoir of Protecting Users, Resilience, and the Founding of Binance is a 366-page memoir by Changpeng Zhao (CZ). It covers his life from poverty in rural China to building Binance into the world's largest crypto exchange, the FTX collapse and Sam Bankman-Fried, the DOJ investigation, his $150 million personal fine, and four months in U.S. federal prison. Published April 8, 2026. Ranked #1 in Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies on Amazon. 100% of author royalties go to charity.

Q: What happened with Binance and the DOJ?

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Binance and its founder CZ with violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) — anti-money-laundering compliance failures, not fraud. Binance agreed to a $4.3 billion settlement, one of the largest in U.S. corporate history. CZ personally paid a $150 million fine and served approximately four months in a U.S. federal prison. No Binance customers lost funds.

Q: Is Freedom of Money based on real events?

Yes. Freedom of Money is a first-person memoir based entirely on real events. It describes the actual founding and growth of Binance, real regulatory proceedings by the DOJ and SEC, the real FTX collapse and Sam Bankman-Fried, and CZ's actual prison sentence. All events described are documented and verifiable.

Q: Was CZ charged with fraud?

No. CZ was charged with a single violation of the Bank Secrecy Act — a compliance paperwork failure related to anti-money-laundering procedures. There were no fraud charges, no theft charges, and no money laundering charges. No Binance customers lost any funds. CZ's lawyers noted at the time that this type of charge had never previously resulted in prison time.

Q: Where can I buy Freedom of Money by CZ?

Freedom of Money by Changpeng Zhao is available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback formats. It is ranked #1 in Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies. Use the Buy on Amazon button on this page to get the correct link for your region.

Q: Does CZ receive money from book sales?

No. Changpeng Zhao has publicly pledged 100% of his author royalties to charitable causes. Amazon receives their standard retail margin. CZ personally receives no financial benefit from book sales.

Changpeng Zhao

This is the official website for Freedom of Money, a memoir by Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the founder of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The book is 366 pages, published April 8, 2026, ranked #1 in Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies on Amazon. It is available in Kindle and Paperback. CZ donates 100% of author royalties to charity. The book covers his life from poverty in China to building Binance to the DOJ case and prison sentence.

Freedom of Money book cover — CZ memoir by Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance

Available Now — April 8, 2026

★★★★★ #1 in Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies on Amazon

Freedom of Money —
The Inside Story of Binance
and Changpeng Zhao

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, writes the complete story — from poverty in China to building the world's largest crypto exchange, and the four months he spent in a U.S. federal prison cell where he wrote this book.

📖 366 pages · ⚡ Kindle instant delivery · #1 in Bitcoin & Crypto

Buy on Amazon ↗

✓ 30-day Amazon refund — risk free ✓ Instant Kindle delivery ✓ 100% of author royalties to charity

Why This Matters

From poverty in China
to the world's largest
crypto empire — and prison.

Changpeng Zhao grew up with a dirt floor and no running water in rural China. He immigrated to Canada as a teenager, worked his way through McGill University, and built Binance from nothing in 2017 — becoming the largest crypto exchange on earth in under 180 days.

Then the U.S. DOJ came. Not for fraud. Not for theft. A single Bank Secrecy Act compliance violation. His lawyers said nobody had ever gone to prison for this. He flew to the U.S. anyway and surrendered himself.

This is not just a crypto story. It's a story about who controls money — and what happens when you challenge the global financial order.

"I may sign your copy one day if you are an early buyer."
— Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Founder of Binance

What You'll Learn

The Binance story — complete and unfiltered.

✓

How Binance became the world's largest crypto exchange
The founding decision in 2017, the exact product and leadership moves that made Binance #1 in 180 days, and the principles CZ used to scale to 300 million users.
✓

What actually happened with the DOJ and SEC
The full story of the $4.3 billion Binance settlement, CZ's $150 million personal fine, and four months in U.S. federal prison — for a single compliance charge, not fraud.
✓

CZ's leadership philosophy and decision-making
How he built and managed a 10,000-person global team, how he made decisions under extreme pressure, and what he learned from the mistakes he admits to making.
✓

The truth behind crypto industry risks — including FTX
A first-hand account of watching the FTX collapse and Sam Bankman-Fried's unraveling in real time, and what it revealed about trust, systemic risk, and regulatory reality.
✓

Global financial access and why crypto adoption matters
CZ's core thesis: 1.4 billion people have no access to basic banking. Financial freedom is not a product feature — it is the founding mission of Binance, and it's worth fighting for.

Social Proof

#1 Bestseller. The crypto world is reading it.

1,239+ readers already waiting for this book

★★★★★

"The most honest account of what actually happened with Binance and the DOJ. If you're in crypto or finance, this is required reading."

— Verified Amazon reviewer

★★★★★

"Unfiltered, raw, and surprisingly moving. CZ doesn't dodge a single hard question. I finished it in two sittings."

— Verified Amazon reviewer

★★★★★

"Written in a prison cell and it shows — in the best way. This is the real Binance story that no journalist could write."

— Verified Amazon reviewer

What You Get

Real events. Real insights. No fluff.

📊

Based on Real Events

Every event in this book is documented and verifiable. The DOJ case, the FTX collapse, the SEC scrutiny — CZ was inside all of it.

⚡

Instant Kindle Delivery

Start reading in 60 seconds. Available on any device — phone, tablet, Kindle, or browser — with no waiting, no shipping.

↩

30-Day Amazon Refund

Amazon's standard return policy. Don't love it — full refund, no questions asked. Zero financial risk.

♥

100% Royalties to Charity

CZ receives zero personal income from this book. Every author royalty is donated to charitable causes. Publicly pledged.

#1 in Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies on Amazon

Stop reading about it.
Read it.

366 pages · Written during a U.S. federal prison sentence · The only complete insider account of Binance · 100% to charity

Buy on Amazon ↗

amazon Kindle & Print · Secure checkout · Ships worldwide

Available Now — April 8, 2026

The Binance story.
Complete. Unfiltered.

366 pages written during a U.S. federal prison sentence. From poverty in China to building a $100B empire — and the DOJ case that changed crypto forever.

Buy on Amazon ↗

✓ 30-day refund — zero risk · ✓ Instant Kindle delivery · ✓ 100% to charity

Kindle & Print · 366 pages · ISBN 979-8995069621
Publisher: Freedom of Money Foundation · Released April 8, 2026

Freedom of Money — The Inside Story of Binanceand Changpeng Zhao

From poverty in China to the world's largest crypto empire — and prison.

The Binance story — complete and unfiltered.

#1 Bestseller. The crypto world is reading it.

Real events. Real insights. No fluff.

Based on Real Events

Instant Kindle Delivery

30-Day Amazon Refund

100% Royalties to Charity

Stop reading about it.Read it.

Common questions, answered directly.

The Binance story.Complete. Unfiltered.

Freedom of Money —
The Inside Story of Binance
and Changpeng Zhao

From poverty in China
to the world's largest
crypto empire — and prison.

Stop reading about it.
Read it.

The Binance story.
Complete. Unfiltered.