CZ Makes First Investment Through Rebranded Former Binance VC Arm 'YZi' With YZi, CZ will focus on investments in Web3, AI, and biotech, while exploring innovations at the intersection of these fields
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
A few days after former Binance CEO Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao announced the rebranding of the severed Binance Holdings' venture capital arm to YZi Labs, the cryptocurrency personality has made his first investment into a startup focused on simplifying token distribution and bringing credential verification on-chain.
"By focusing on everyday applications such as contract signing with EthSign, token distribution and management through TokenTable, and on-chain credential verification using Sign Protocol, Sign is paving the way for the mass onboarding of billions of Web2 users into Web3, one application at a time," read the official release.
Founded in 2021, Sign is a token distribution platform providing transparent and secure token transfers for both humans and AI agents. Its omni-chain attestation protocol is widely used, generating $15 million in revenue in 2024. Over 200 projects, including Movement, Starknet, and ZetaChain, rely on Sign.
According to Fortune, YZi reportedly has invested USD 16 million.
— YZi Labs (@BinanceLabs) January 28, 2025
With YZi, CZ will focus on investments in Web3, AI, and biotech, while exploring innovations at the intersection of these fields. "Rebranding to YZi Labs is more than a name change—it signifies an expanded vision as we broaden our horizons to include transformative sectors like AI and biotech," said CZ. According to the entity, post-CZ's departure from the largest crypto exchange, it was a natural progression for the VC arm to shed its Binance image.
YZi Labs will finetune its incubation program and reintroduce in-person experiences through a 12-week residency for founders. Currently, it oversees USD 10 billion worth of crypto-related assets amassed since Binance days.
