Following his time in prison, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has once again captured headlines with the release of his autobiography, "Freedom of Money." This memoir, charting CZ's journey to creating one of the largest crypto exchanges, has immediately ignited a fresh round of public disputes with his long-standing rival, OKX founder Star Xu, stirring significant controversy in the crypto community.
CZ's Memoir Reignites a Bitter Feud
Within the 457 pages of "Freedom of Money," CZ levels contentious accusations against Star Xu, claiming his rival attempted to sabotage him with "FUD" and even reported him to Chinese authorities back in 2015. Zhao recounts how Huobi founder Leon Li allegedly confirmed Xu's actions with a screenshot, suggesting this led to CZ's arrest. This re-ignition of hostilities traces its roots to a historical dispute from 2014-2015, when CZ served as CTO for OKCoin (now OKX). Their initial falling out involved a contentious 10% equity stake and a disputed Bitcoin.com domain deal, setting the stage for a deep-seated rivalry that continues to fuel public clashes.
Star Xu's Fiery Rebuttal
As anticipated, Star Xu swiftly countered CZ's accusations, dismissing them as "false statements" from a "habitual liar" who "never changes their nature" even after prison. While initially stating he had "no intention of revisiting these old issues," Xu felt compelled to respond. He attached a decade-old YouTube video, claiming it serves as irrefutable evidence of contract forgery, thereby turning the tables and implicating CZ in past wrongdoings, further escalating the animosity between these two crypto titans.
