CZ Predicts Seven YZi Labs Bets Made During Crypto Winter Will Excel

Changpeng Zhao believes the YZi Labs deals struck over recent months will turn out to be its most successful. The Binance co-founder attributes this to the firm having deployed capital when digital asset values were at low points.

Zhao's positive outlook stems from how his private fortune has been put to work. YZi Labs, the family office overseeing his personal assets, is the vehicle used.

Why CZ Thinks His Firm’s Timing Works

Zhao's remarks capped a recap of a book club gathering held on August 28 in Hong Kong. He informed those present that the influx of capital into AI is weeding out crypto projects with short time horizons.

He has further argued that AI money rotating back into digital assets has already begun.

I strongly believe the YziLabs investments over the last few months will be some of the best performing because those investments were done during the depth of the crypto winter. https://t.co/D6exzyfyTF

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) September 4, 2026

The winter narrative finds backing from market data. By early June, bitcoin had declined 47% from its all-time high, a drop that triggered a discussion about the harshest crypto winter. Although prices have recovered some ground, they still trade well below the October peak.

What YZi Labs Has Backed This Year

YZi Labs manages over $10 billion on behalf of Zhao and Binance co-founder Yi He. The firm originated from Binance Labs, the exchange's previous venture division, and now operates independently. Its investments in 2026 extend beyond digital assets to fields such as robotics, AI payments, and custody services.

The largest publicly known investment was in the robotics sector. In March, YZi Labs spearheaded a $52 million funding round for RoboForce, a firm developing physical AI systems. The family office also acquired a stake in BitGo, a digital asset custodian, prior to its January listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Additional smaller transactions occurred later. During April, YZi Labs increased its holdings in the prediction market Predict.fun, co-investing with Susquehanna Crypto. Then in May, it topped an $8 million pre-seed investment in the payments protocol AEON. In August, it supported TermMax, a fixed-rate lending platform.

Zhao has not released any performance figures, so the assertion remains unverified. At the same time, YZi Labs was engaged for most of the year in a dispute over management of CEA Industries, the BNB treasury entity. A board director stepped down in March, and the parties settled in June.

The next move in bitcoin's price will determine if the investment timing proves astute. Separately, Zhao has stated that a $1 million bitcoin might materialize earlier than many anticipate. Current Bitcoin price levels are far short of that target.