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Binance's founder said in a new interview that he wasn't initially recognized in prison — but word of his vast wealth and crypto know-how soon spread.
Being incarcerated, however, limited his outlook on the market.
"Many of them asked, like, which coins should they buy?" Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, told Bloomberg in his first interview since being released in September. He said he told inquiring inmates and prison guards: "I don't have access to any information. I don't even know what the market looks like."
Zhao stepped down from the world's biggest crypto exchange and pleaded guilty to anti-money laundering charges last year.
He was released in September after serving a four-month sentence at a minimum-security prison in California — as the wealthiest US inmate ever, Bloomberg reported.
Binance also reached a settlement to pay a $4.3 billion fine after federal regulators accused the company of failing to halt illegal trading by groups like Hamas and ISIS.
Crypto market updates weren't the only thing Zhao couldn't access behind bars. He told Bloomberg he typically was careful with his diet on the outside, but in prison, the food was heavy on starch and sugar and low on protein. (Zhao said he did sometimes get fried fish or a Spam-like meat.)
"I usually stick to a paleo diet, just proteins and veggies. That's not possible there," he said.
He spent his days working out and writing a book, he said.
One of Zhao's closest friends in prison was serving a 25-year sentence for bank robbery and also happened to be knowledgeable about crypto. Zhao said he's now trying to connect the man with pro-bono legal aid to potentially help reduce his sentence.
As for the future, Zhao said he's turning the page on Binance. "That chapter is that chapter," he said.
He said he was exploring investments in the AI and biotech industries and founded the nonprofit Giggle Academy, a gamified learning app. BI contacted Binance to seek additional comment from the company or Zhao.
As one of the wealthiest men on earth, Zhao's fortunes have soared in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump's victory. Given Trump's pro-crypto positions, prices have surged, increasing Zhao's personal net worth by 30% to roughly $53 billion.
