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CZ Slams FT Over YZi Labs Report, Says No Fundraising, No Demo, No Pitch Deck

TLDR:

• CZ says YZi Labs has never prepared a pitch deck or sought external funding since its rebrand.
• He denied reports of a demo for investors, saying there has never been such a presentation for YZi Labs.
• CZ clarified his BSA plea was for program failures, not money laundering, countering FT’s language.
• He said YZi Labs was never “spun out” of Binance, rejecting FT’s claim about the company’s origins.
  

CZ, founder of Binance, is pushing back against a Financial Times report that claimed his $10B firm YZi Labs could soon accept outside investors. 

The report suggested that the firm might convert into a public fund and even referenced a private demo allegedly requested by SEC Chair Paul Atkins. CZ quickly denied every claim in a detailed statement on X. 

He insisted there was no demo, no pitch deck, and no fundraising effort at all. The story sparked debate across crypto social media, with many watching closely for YZi Labs’ next move.

CZ Denies Any Investor Outreach

In his post, CZ stated that YZi Labs has not sought a single external investor since its rebrand. He wrote that no pitch deck has ever been created, nor was there any preparation for one. He dismissed the idea of a demo, questioning what a “demo for a fund” would even be.

He clarified that YZi Labs operates independently and was not “spun out” of Binance as the report suggested. This was a direct response to FT’s framing that tied the firm’s origin to Binance’s operations. 

His comments aimed to separate YZi Labs from his past role at Binance and keep its strategy private.

CZ also said there have been no communications between him, YZi Labs, and Chairman Atkins. He mentioned that he respects Atkins but denied any discussions about a demo or investment opportunity. 

This rebuttal addressed FT’s claim that Atkins had requested a private presentation.

Complete false news from FT, with fake/wrong/made-up info and negative narratives. This is just from what I gathered on social media, I did not even read the FT article. No subscription.

As far as I know:

YZiLabs is not raising external fund.
There is no demo. WTF is a demo… https://t.co/muO09pX8Bz

— CZ BNB (@cz_binance) September 23, 2025

Addressing the FT Report and Legal Context

CZ used the moment to clarify the legal context around his previous plea. He said he pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program, not to money laundering itself. According to him, traditional media often mixes the two and creates confusion.

He also said FT reporters had been trying to set up a lunch interview with him for some time. He revealed that he almost accepted last week, but Ella Zhang, YZi Labs’ head, had lunch with them instead. He suggested the article that followed felt like a trap and said he would now cancel any such meetings.

His tone throughout the thread was firm but factual, aiming to stop speculation about YZi Labs’ direction. While the FT report said interest in YZi Labs’ portfolio was strong, CZ made clear there are no plans to take on outside money.

For now, YZi Labs appears to remain closed to investors, and CZ’s quick public response shows he wants to control the narrative around the firm.

The post CZ Slams FT Over YZi Labs Report, Says No Fundraising, No Demo, No Pitch Deck appeared first on Blockonomi.