CZ at Davos: Tokenization, Crypto Payments, and AI to Become Key Drivers of Crypto Industry Development

• The former CEO of Binance stated that governments are actively preparing for asset tokenization.
• Zhao believes cryptocurrencies are the natural currency for artificial intelligence agents.
• According to him, the future of banking infrastructure lies in digital solutions.

On January 22, 2026, former Binance crypto exchange CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos. During a panel discussion, he outlined key trends shaping the industry: asset tokenization, the growth of crypto payments, and the role of cryptocurrencies in artificial intelligence-based systems. CZ also spoke about Binance’s operations, regulation, and more.

Changpeng Zhao noted that today the crypto industry has only two truly mature and profitable segments — crypto exchanges and stablecoins. At the same time, he is convinced that the next wave of growth will take shape around three new areas that are gradually moving to the forefront.

Zhao named tokenization first, particularly of government assets. According to him, more and more governments are viewing tokenization as a way to raise capital faster and channel it into developing tourism projects, trade markets, and more.

The second promising area is payments. CZ said that while consumers rarely pay with cryptocurrencies directly, they are increasingly being integrated into traditional payment systems.

Zhao considers artificial intelligence the third key driver. In his view, cryptocurrency will become the native medium of exchange for AI agents, which will not use bank cards or traditional payment instruments. 

The former Binance chief emphasized that the exchange has surpassed not only the Shanghai Stock Exchange, but also the New York Stock Exchange in trading volume. Binance’s user base exceeds 300 million.

According to Zhao, in December 2023 Binance processed $7 billion in withdrawals in a single day, and $14 billion over the course of a week. The platform handled the load without disruptions, unlike traditional banks, which often cannot operate under similar conditions, CZ added.

The former Binance CEO noted that crypto is global by nature and does not change depending on the country. However, he said the industry needs an effective regulatory model that could be adapted across different jurisdictions, which is why he is paying significant attention to finding such an approach and engaging with governments in various countries.

In CZ’s view, the number of physical bank branches will decline over the next decade. He predicts digital finance will dominate, reducing the need for in-person contact with banks.

CZ emphasized that, all else being equal, faster and cheaper systems are always more efficient. According to him, speed itself does not create risks but merely reveals existing problems more quickly. Zhao also highlighted that technologies that increase speed and reduce transaction costs are undoubtedly a step forward.

As a reminder, Changpeng Zhao previously criticized the idea of tokenized gold. At the time, he said, noting that “gold” crypto assets ultimately never became popular.