Former Binance founder CZ will be dedicating more time to investing and directly engaging with projects.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance’s venture capital arm spin-off Binance Labs has announced plans to rebrand in 2025. Changpeng Zhao (CZ) will lead and personally engage with investment projects.
Binance Labs broke away from the exchange and became an independent entity earlier this year. The rebranding reflects its evolving vision and to distance itself from the exchange.
The investment arm said former Binance founder CZ will dedicate more time to investing and directly engaging with projects. CZ is permanently banned from being involved in Binance leadership but is allowed to focus on investments.
CZ served four months in prison for violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and other regulatory issues. With CZ dedicating more time to investing and directly engaging with projects, Binance Labs said it is also expanding its investment strategy to include secondary markets, OTC deals, and other opportunities.
Looking back at 2024, Binance Labs said it has had a remarkable year, investing in 46 projects. Of these, 14 were sourced from the BNB Chain-focused MVB program and the chain-agnostic Labs Incubation program, while 32 were direct investments. These investments spanned a variety of sectors, with an even 50-50 split between infrastructure and application-focused deals.
In a breakdown, the firm said its portfolio is diverse, with investments in DeFi X10 projects, AI X7, the Bitcoin ecosystem X7, Re-staking X4, Gaming X3, ZK technologies X2, RWAs X2, and consumer apps X2.
Emerging fields like the “Move” system and decentralized science (DeSci) also gained more attention. The firm invests in major platforms like Solana, Ethereum, and Ethereum Layer 2 solutions, as well as Berachain, and Monad. Binance Labs said 20% of these investments were in projects within the BNB ecosystem.
Binance Labs said as the industry transitions into 2025, it is optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead. With the pro-crypto stance of the incoming Trump administration, the regulatory landscape is expected to become more favourable, potentially boosting institutional interest and setting the stage for industry maturation.
In 2025, Binance Labs said it will focus on key areas such as blockchain/crypto, AI, and biotech, as well as innovations at the intersection of these domains. Underperforming sectors like gaming and privacy solutions may see a resurgence as they move from development to production.