Cryptocurrency 'female general' becomes CEO of Binance

Yi He, co-founder of the Binance exchange, has just been appointed as co-CEO. Photo: Binance .

On December 3, Binance officially announced the appointment of co-founder Yi He as co-CEO alongside Richard Teng. The announcement was made at the Binance Blockchain Week event in Dubai, marking the biggest leadership change since founder Changpeng Zhao stepped down at the end of 2023.

“Yi has been an integral part of the executive leadership team since the launch of Binance,” said Richard Teng. The appointment is seen as a formal recognition of the role Yi He has played since November 2023, when she took over Binance after Zhao pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws.

“I am honored to build with Richard, who brings decades of experience in the regulated financial markets,” said Yi He. In Zhao’s absence, Yi He is the company’s largest shareholder, with control over much of its marketing and investment functions. She also has significant influence in selecting a new independent board of directors.

Yi He worked as a TV travel show host before moving into tech. Yi He first met Zhao at a cryptocurrency conference in 2014. Zhao was working at a digital wallet company at the time and impressed Yi He with his presentation on the potential of cryptocurrencies. She later hired Zhao as chief technology officer at OKCoin.

In 2017, Zhao invited Yi He to co-found Binance as its chief marketing officer, helping build the company into the world's largest exchange in just over a year. Chinese media dubbed her the "big sister" of the crypto world. "My passion is to work for Binance," Yi He once shared.

Since 2017, Yi He has served as chief marketing officer, managing Binance's venture capital and marketing efforts. She has recruited volunteers known as Binance Angels to spread the belief that cryptocurrencies will help users escape the regulations of traditional finance.

In August 2022, Yi He was appointed as the head of Binance Labs, the venture capital arm of Binance. She is responsible for many important initiatives such as Binance Launchpad, BNB Chain and the charity program. Under her leadership, BNB has grown impressively, becoming one of the most successful platform currencies.

Yi He is now a billionaire thanks to her ownership of about 10% of Binance's shares, making her one of the richest women in the world.

Source: https://znews.vn/nu-tuong-tien-ma-hoa-lam-ceo-binance-post1608247.html