CZ Floats Binance.US Revival at Consensus Miami, Pitches BNB Chain as AI Agent Payment Rail

Image Credit: Binance

Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said a revived Binance.US is one possible path to restoring American crypto traders’ access to global liquidity, speaking Thursday at Consensus Miami 2026. Zhao, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump on October 23, 2025, following a four-month prison sentence, said improving U.S. crypto policy has drawn him back into domestic market engagement.

Zhao Cites U.S. Liquidity Gap as Motivation for Potential Binance.US Return

Zhao said American users currently lack access to the best crypto prices available globally. “The best liquidity in crypto is outside of the U.S.,” Zhao said at the conference. “Crypto is one of the very few markets that U.S. don’t have access to the best prices.” He added that Binance holds the strongest liquidity position within its ecosystem and outlined two possible approaches: 

“We would love to be able to provide that in some way, either revitalize Binance.US or somehow provide U.S. the best liquidity in the world and the best prices for the consumers.” 

Separately, Binance.US has been planning its own comeback under CEO Stephen Gregory, with reported plans to expand beyond spot trading into derivatives and prediction markets. 

CZ Says U.S. Crypto Policy Has Shifted, Cites CLARITY Act and Market Structure Legislation

Zhao said U.S. policy toward crypto had “changed in the last year and a half or so,” which he attributed to his increased engagement with American builders, regulators, and policymakers. He described the U.S. as now “leading in the world in terms of crypto policies,” pointing specifically to market structure legislation including the CLARITY Act. 

Zhao also noted that developers and crypto firms who had relocated abroad are returning. “Many of the U.S. people left,” Zhao said. “They went to Abu Dhabi, they went to Hong Kong, Singapore. Many of the developers left, and then they’re now coming back.”

BNB Chain Opens U.S. Builder Houses as Zhao Eyes Domestic Expansion 

Zhao described BNB Chain as underexposed in the U.S. following years of limited domestic activity and said the network has established a builder house in New York, a small presence in San Francisco, and increased U.S. investment activity through YZi Labs. YZi Labs, formerly known as Binance Labs, rebranded with Zhao taking a more active investment role. The firm subsequently announced a $1 billion fund for BNB Chain projects.  

Zhao said U.S. institutions had limited access to BNB, though he did not specify what had changed to expand that access.

“The lack of access for institutions to BNB is actually an opportunity for BNB investors,” Zhao said. “When the institutions come in, that’s generally better for the token.”

Zhao Argues Blockchains Are Better Suited Than Cards or Banks for AI Agent Payments

Zhao said AI agents will require crypto infrastructure to transact with one another, contending that blockchains are better suited than credit cards or traditional bank rails for automated cross-border payments. “Credit cards don’t have an API,” Zhao said. “The most native thing for the agent to use is obviously a blockchain.” 

He argued that BNB Chain should position itself as the payments infrastructure for AI agents. He added that the market is still in its earliest stages. “BNB Chain should just be the money for agents,” he said.