CZ’s Bold Move: Binance Founder Pumps $10M in BNB into Buterin’s Biotech Crusade

Crypto meets CRISPR as Binance’s Changpeng Zhao makes a power play—dropping a cool $10 million in BNB to back Vitalik Buterin’s high-stakes biotech gambit. No vague whitepaper promises here—just hard-chain philanthropy.

The Money Shot

Zhao’s 8-figure donation—paid entirely in Binance’s native token—fuels Buterin’s quest to hack human biology. Because when you’ve banked billions trading memecoins, why not bet on rewriting DNA?

Crypto’s Odd Couple

The Ethereum-Binance alliance shocks purists. Buterin’s decentralized ideals now dance with CZ’s exchange empire. ‘Web3 healthcare’ gets its first major backer—assuming the BNB price holds.

The Fine Print

That $10M? Worth $8M after yesterday’s dip—but still buys plenty of lab rats. Critics whisper ‘tax write-off,’ while true believers call it crypto’s Apollo program. Either way, the blockchain just bought a microscope.

TLDR

• Binance founder Changpeng Zhao donated $10 million in BNB to Vitalik Buterin’s biotech initiatives.
• The donation supports open-source and decentralized biotech projects that aim to serve the public interest.
• Zhao’s contribution follows previous biotech investments by his family office YZi Labs.
• Vitalik Buterin promotes decentralized science using blockchain tools like zero-knowledge proofs to protect privacy in health data.
• Buterin has funded his biotech efforts with crypto profits from memecoins to support transparent and community-driven research.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has donated $10 million in BNB to support ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin’s biotech initiatives. The move highlights a growing trend among crypto billionaires to fund open-source science through decentralized models. They aim to reshape how biotech is developed and distributed, avoiding corporate monopolies and promoting public good.

BNB Donation Signals Shift in Scientific Funding

Changpeng Zhao transferred $10 million worth of BNB to support decentralized biotech platforms driven by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The donation aligns with Buterin’s mission to build open-source scientific tools and fund research with community input. Zhao’s contribution adds to previous efforts from his family office, YZi Labs, in the biotech space.

🙏 Moved by this post👇. Just doing my little part.

The best way to attract mission-driven talent is having conviction yourself. Likeminded people naturally come together.

On top of YZiLabs investments, I personally donated $10m (in BNB) to Vitalik a couple of months back to… https://t.co/vGNdneoci7

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) July 1, 2025

This donation reflects a broader movement within crypto to direct wealth toward long-term societal impact. While biotech remains heavily controlled by corporations, these new efforts emphasize community ownership and collaboration. Zhao stated he was simply contributing to a cause with long-term value.

Both leaders believe decentralized systems offer more transparency and inclusion than current biotech models. Open-source platforms allow for faster treatment development without commercial limitations, and blockchain-based transparency could also build public trust in health systems and tools.

Vitalik Buterin Pushes for Decentralized Biotech

Vitalik Buterin has actively promoted decentralized science as a way to democratize access to biotechnology. In a 2023 blog post, he outlined how zero-knowledge proofs can balance privacy and public health needs. Such tools could protect communities during pandemics while limiting exposure of personal data.

He also highlighted open-source protocols that can speed up innovation during emergencies. These include rapid vaccine development platforms and mobile diagnostic tools. Independent researchers can access and improve these tools without relying on corporate gatekeepers.

Buterin believes crypto communities are uniquely equipped to support these goals through decentralized funding mechanisms. He donated millions to his biotech fund using profits from memecoins. These actions underline how crypto wealth can fund impactful public goods beyond financial markets.