The rally coincides with the launch of YZi Labs’ $1 billion Builder Fund, which is specifically aimed at accelerating innovation across DeFi, AI, real-world assets, and other sectors in the BNB ecosystem. YZi Labs was founded by Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, and it is integrating the BNB Chain’s flagship accelerator program, Most Valuable Builder, into its global incubation platform to provide up to $500,000 in funding and mentorship for early-stage founders. However, BNB’s impressive growth led to some debate, with some traders alleging market manipulation, while others credit the project’s fundamentals and BNB Chain’s expanding network of over 60 million active users. With CZ holding over 60% of BNB’s supply, his wealth could now stand at more than $100 billion thanks to BNB’s valuation climb.
BNB Ecosystem Gets $1B Push
YZi Labs, a venture capital firm that was founded by Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, launched a massive $1 billion Builder Fund to back early-stage founders building in the BNB ecosystem. The move comes as BNB’s price surged to record highs.
The new fund is designed to support innovation across decentralized finance (DeFi), real-world assets (RWA), artificial intelligence (AI), and decentralized science (DeSci), while also nurturing projects that are focused on payments and wallet infrastructure in the BNB Chain. Ella Zhang, the head of YZi Labs, described the initiative as a major step toward advancing digital infrastructure, and explained how the BNB ecosystem combines decentralization, scalability, and security with genuine user reach.
YZi Labs announcement
YZi Labs, formerly known as Binance Labs, has been one of the most active investors in the BNB ecosystem by helping to drive its growth and adoption through key strategic funding. It previously supported projects like PancakeSwap, ListaDAO, the infrastructure provider Aspecta, and Aster, a multichain DEX. The firm has also helped expand institutional participation in the BNB ecosystem through efforts like the BNB Digital Asset Treasury, the RWA fund that was launched by China Renaissance, and the BNB Yield Fund managed by Hash Global.
BNB Ecosystem
As part of the Builder Fund initiative, YZi Labs is integrating BNB Chain’s flagship accelerator, the Most Valuable Builder (MVB) program, into its Easy Residency incubation platform. This collaboration will provide founders with up to $500,000 in direct funding, mentorship, and access to YZi Labs’ network of investors, partners, and experts.
While YZi Labs reportedly manages more than $10 billion in assets, there are still some questions about its connection to CZ’s personal fortune. Bloomberg previously reported that the firm oversees billions linked to Binance’s founders, though YZi denies operating as a family office.
With BNB’s valuation now over $182 billion, CZ’s holdings of over 60% of the token’s supply could be worth around $116 billion.
BNB Hits Record Highs
BNB, the native cryptocurrency of the BNB Chain, surged to become the third-largest digital asset by market cap. This means that it overtook XRP and Tether (USDT) after a sharp rally that pushed its price above $1,300. The token climbed by close to 30% over the past week, and reached a market cap of $182 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. This is the first time BNB traded above $1,100.
BNB’s price action over the past week (Source: CoinMarketCap)
The rally happened as BNB gained adoption in new regions, including Kazakhstan, where a government-backed BNB fund recently launched to promote blockchain innovation. However, the steep rise also fueled skepticism among certain people in the market, with some raising concerns about possible price manipulation.
BNB’s market cap jumped by roughly $40 billion since Oct. 1, which far outpaced gains by other major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which rose 5% and 8.4% respectively during the same period. By contrast, it took BNB over two months earlier this year to add a similar amount in value.
On social media, several traders and analysts questioned whether Binance or related entities may have contributed to the rally. Some people even compared BNB to the now-defunct FTX Token, and warned that artificial price support might be involved.
A well known X user, DeFiTracer, claimed that Binance was “buying millions of BNB to liquidate shorts,” implying potential market intervention. Binance and its founder, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, have not publicly addressed these allegations. CZ simply posted “Keep building on BNB Chain” on X as the token continued its rally.
Supporters, on the other hand, countered that the growth is due to strong fundamentals, and BNB Chain’s expanding user base, which now exceeds 60 million monthly active addresses. With BNB’s valuation at record levels, CZ’s personal holdings could be making him one of the wealthiest people in the crypto industry at the moment.
