On December 3, Binance CEO Richard Teng officially announced that Binance co-founder Yi He would take over as Co-CEO with him. This is XEM Binance's most important power transfer since the tumultuous period related to legal issues in the US.
The decision comes at a time when Binance is actively rebuilding its image, just a month after former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) was pardoned by US President Donald Trump – who won the election in late 2024 and is currently in office. This event is considered a big boost to help Binance escape the “legal shadow” that has lasted for many years and opens up the opportunity for a comprehensive restructuring.
While CZ has always been known as a prominent face of the crypto ecosystem, Yi He has chosen to develop in a more discreet style. Born in 1988 in China, she is XEM by the crypto community as the “silent architect” behind Binance’s branding strategy, market positioning, and business expansion from the very beginning. Many analysts often describe Yi He as the perfect strategic Shard to CZ’s product thinking – a combination that has made Binance the world’s largest exchange just a few years after its founding.
Richard Teng said that the appointment of a powerful female leader as Co-CEO will help Binance strengthen its governance, strengthen its corporate culture, and improve its ability to respond to legal challenges on a global scale. According to him, Binance needs a leadership duo with complementary visions to usher in the next phase of growth after a turbulent period.
