On 22.01.2026, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) spoke at the World Economic Forum and outlined three primary vectors for crypto market growth.

Three growth vectors

CZ identified tokenization, crypto payments, and the integration of AI with digital currencies as the next wave for the industry.

• He described tokenization of assets, including state-owned assets, as a major avenue for expanding blockchain usage.
• He argued for deeper integration of crypto payments into existing financial rails and mainstream commercial systems worldwide.
• He envisaged cryptocurrencies serving as native money for autonomous AI agents, enabling machine-to-machine economic activity.

Current maturity and market implications

CZ noted that, at present, only exchanges and stablecoins can be regarded as genuinely mature segments of the crypto ecosystem.

He highlighted the scale of Binance, citing more than 300 mln users and trading volumes that he said exceed those of the NYSE.

CZ observed that the future will favour fast, low-cost digital finance solutions and that the role of physical bank branches is likely to decline in coming years.

Outlook without speculation

The speaker emphasized technological and payments integration as practical steps rather than speculative narratives, focusing on infrastructure and interoperability needs.

According to CZ, progress in these three directions will determine how quickly cryptocurrencies become embedded into conventional financial and technological systems.