Binance is the biggest of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, yet it is also one of the most secretive about who owns it. There is no stock ticker, no annual report, and no public list of shareholders.
The picture is clearer than it looks. One founder holds most of the company, one Abu Dhabi fund owns a minority slice, and a record-breaking hack this week has put those owners under a very bright spotlight.
Who Owns Binance Right Now in 2026?
Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, is the controlling owner of Binance. Estimates put his stake at roughly 90%, and the U.S. Justice Department called him Binance’s “founder, owner, and CEO” in its November 2023 plea announcement.
Binance is a privately held company with no public shareholders, so none of these numbers come from an official ownership table. The only outside investor the company has named is MGX, an Abu Dhabi investment firm that took a minority stake in 2025.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Party | Role | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changpeng Zhao (CZ) | Founder and controlling shareholder | ~90% (reported estimate) | Resigned as CEO in November 2023; pardoned in October 2025 |
| MGX (Abu Dhabi) | Minority investor | Undisclosed minority | $2 billion investment announced March 12, 2025; first institutional investor |
| Yi He | Co-founder and Co-CEO | Not disclosed | Named co-CEO in December 2025 |
| Richard Teng | CEO / Co-CEO | Not disclosed | Leads Binance since November 2023; former financial regulator |
| Binance.US (BAM Trading Services) | U.S. affiliate | Separate U.S. entity | Not affected by the October 2026 hack |
| Public shareholders | None | 0% | Binance is private and not listed on any stock exchange |
The Origin Story: Eight Months to the Top
Binance was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao and Yi He. Zhao came from a background in trading software and had worked at the exchange OKCoin. When China tightened its crypto rules that same year, the company moved its operations out of mainland China.
It also launched its own token, Binance Coin (BNB), in 2017. Within about eight months, it became the world’s largest exchange by trading volume. Today the website and the Binance app serve more than 330 million registered accounts.
How Much Does Changpeng Zhao Really Own?
Nobody outside the company can give an exact number. Binance does not publish an ownership table the way Coinbase does, so every figure you see online is an estimate.
The most repeated estimate is about 90%, which Bloomberg credits to Zhao based on his public statements and filings in regions where ownership is disclosed. Net worth estimates built on that stake range from roughly $80 billion to $110 billion.
MGX: The Only Outside Investor Binance Has Named
In March 2025, Abu Dhabi’s MGX invested $2 billion for a minority stake. AFP reported that it was the largest investment ever paid in crypto, because the deal was settled in a stablecoin.
MGX is headed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and is also involved in the Stargate AI project. Reports valued Binance at about $75 billion in the deal, which points to a small slice, but neither side has disclosed the percentage. Abu Dhabi money turns up in many mega-deals, and ADIA and Mubadala also sit on the shareholder list of Jio Platforms.
The 2023 Guilty Plea and the CEO Handover
In November 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program. Binance agreed to a $4.3 billion settlement, and Zhao paid a separate $50 million fine, stepped down as CEO, and served four months in a California prison.
The settlement did not force him to sell. Richard Teng took over as CEO, while Zhao stayed on as the controlling shareholder.
The Pardon and the Political Questions
In October 2025, Zhao received a pardon from President Trump. Critics pointed to MGX’s investment, which was settled in USD1, the stablecoin of the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial, and asked whether the deal helped the pardon.
Teng has rejected that suggestion, and CNBC reported his denial. Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2026 that the Justice Department is investigating allegations that Binance helped evade sanctions linked to Iran-backed groups.
Who Runs Binance Today?
Ownership and management are now clearly separated. Zhao owns the company, while Richard Teng has been CEO since November 2023.
In December 2025, Binance also named co-founder Yi He as co-CEO, so the two now lead the exchange together.
Binance.US: Who Owns the American Arm?
Binance.US is operated by BAM Trading Services and serves U.S. customers as a separate platform. A 2023 U.S. regulator complaint described it as being under common ownership and control with Binance.
Bloomberg-sourced reports said Binance considered a recapitalization that could reduce Zhao’s controlling stake to help with state licensing. No final decision has been announced.
Breaking: The $6.3 Billion Hack and What It Means for the Owners
On October 29, 2026, Binance suspended deposits and withdrawals after attackers drained an estimated $6.3 billion. Axios called it the largest crypto hack in history, and some reports allege a link to North Korea.
Binance’s early finding points to a compromised DevOps engineer’s laptop that let the attacker submit unauthorized withdrawals, and it says no wallet private keys leaked. About $3 billion was frozen with help from Tether, Circle, and others, and CoinDesk reported that Bitcoin slid to around $77,000.
Co-CEO Yi He said Binance will cover all losses, and the company has set aside about $6.34 billion, according to live updates. Zhao said he no longer manages Binance.com but, as a shareholder, expects users to be fully covered.
For the owners, this is a real stress test, because the cost lands on Binance’s own reserves. Binance.US was not affected, and the investigation is still ongoing, so details may change.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Binance in 2026?
Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is the controlling owner with an estimated 90%, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX holds a minority stake.
Q2. Is Binance publicly traded?
No, Binance is a privately held company and is not listed on any stock exchange.
Q3. Who is the CEO of Binance?
Richard Teng has been CEO since November 2023, and co-founder Yi He became co-CEO in December 2025.
Q4. Does CZ still own Binance?
Yes, he stepped down as CEO in 2023 but kept his controlling stake, and he was pardoned in October 2025.
Q5. How much did MGX invest in Binance?
MGX invested $2 billion, announced on March 12, 2025, though the exact percentage is not disclosed.
Q6. Who owns Binance.US?
Binance.US is operated by BAM Trading Services, which U.S. regulators have described as under common ownership with Binance.
Q7. How much was stolen in the October 2026 Binance hack?
About $6.3 billion was drained, roughly $3 billion was frozen, and Binance says it will cover all losses.
Q8. Where is Binance based?
Binance does not disclose its ownership structure or financials, and Forbes reports it is UAE-based, where Zhao now lives.
Binance is controlled by founder Changpeng Zhao, who is estimated to own about 90%, while Abu Dhabi’s MGX holds the only publicly announced minority stake after its $2 billion investment in 2025. The company is private, publishes no ownership table, and is run day to day by Richard Teng and Yi He.
The October 2026 hack of roughly $6.3 billion is now the biggest test of that structure. How Binance pays for it, and how its owners respond, will shape the exchange’s next chapter.
Official Website: binance.com