|

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao calls out Kevin O’Leary for defending “fraudster”

  • Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao tweeted about Kevin O’Leary’s shift from hating crypto to advocating it.
  • Kevin O’Leary defends his pivot by saying that he was an investor in crypto due to the changing regulatory landscape.
  • CZ, however, calls ex-FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried a “fraudster” and calls out Mr. Wonderful for defending him.

The fallout from FTX has been extremely painful for many investors, but the recent appearance of Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary on CNBC seems to have caused Binance CEO to take a stand. In his tweets, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) explains how FTX’s compensation not only caused O’Leary to change his thoughts about crypto but also defend FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) 

Binance vs. remainder of FTX

Binance CEO CZ tweeted on December 9 that $15 million” was enough for Kevin O’Leary to change his mind about crypto from calling it a “garbage.” He adds that the ambassadorship with the now-defunct FTX exchange has also caused O’Leary to support a “fraudster.”

In his talk at CNBC Kevin O’Leary mentions that his major concern in 2017 was lack of regulation. He added that there was a massive interest from institutions for FTX US. The canadian businessman aka Mr. Wonderfull further clarifieed that,

Not a single dollar that I lost was anybody else’s money but mine. That was important to me

He further adds that FTX paid him $15 million dollars for being a paid spokesperson for FTX. 

Continuing his rant, Binance CEO adds,

Worse than losing $15M, you’d think that being used as the poster child for one of the greatest financial crimes in history would make @kevinolearytv think twice before taking Sam at his word AGAIN. But clearly not, based on his appearance on.

While it is clear that FTX and Binance were competing with each other, Changpeng Zhao reveals that FTX used friends in “high places” to manipulate public opinion and attack Binance and other people in the industry.

Author

Akash Girimath

Akash Girimath is a Mechanical Engineer interested in the chaos of the financial markets. Trying to make sense of this convoluted yet fascinating space, he switched his engineering job to become a crypto reporter and analyst.

More from Akash Girimath
Share:

Editor's Picks

Ripple tests recovery strength amid steady ETF inflows, growing retail interest

Ripple (XRP) continues to demonstrate notable resilience as the cryptocurrency market navigates the persistent war in the Middle East after the United States (US) and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday.

Bitcoin extends gains as ETF inflows persist despite broadening US-Iran war

Bitcoin hovers around $73,000 on Thursday, driven by the US Stock market recovery, boosting risk-on sentiment. Data shows analysts are mostly bullish on Bitcoin, citing renewed demand from institutional investors, on-chain holders, and the derivatives market.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP hold weekly gains despite US-Iran war

The cryptocurrency market is gaining strength on Thursday, building on Wednesday's upswing, which saw Bitcoin reach a weekly high above $74,000. Ethereum and Ripple are moderating their recent gains amid uncertainty stemming from the escalating war in the Middle East.

Pi Network eyes breakout rally as broader market recovers

Pi Network (PI) price extends gains above $0.1900 at press time on Thursday, following a 7% increase the previous day. The upcoming token unlock of more than 20 million PI tokens on Saturday looms over the short-term recovery. 

Bitcoin Price Annual Forecast: BTC holds long-term bullish structure heading into 2026

Bitcoin (BTC) is wrapping up 2025 as one of its most eventful years, defined by unprecedented institutional participation, major regulatory developments, and extreme price volatility.

Bitcoin: Another month of losses, and it’s been five

Bitcoin (BTC) price is stabilizing around $68,000 at the time of writing on Friday, but the Crypto King is poised to close February on a fragile footing, marking its fifth consecutive month of losses since October and a rare start to the year with back-to-back monthly corrections.