Binance founder Changpeng Zhao predicts a Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) super cycle in 2026, saying the four-year cycle “will probably break” as the U.S. goes pro-crypto.
CZ Calls Bitcoin Super Cycle For 2026
During an exclusive interview with CNBC at Davos last Thursday, Zhao said he has “very strong feelings” that 2026 will be a super cycle for Bitcoin—breaking the traditional four-year boom-and-bust pattern.
He explained that Bitcoin historically follows four-year cycles with an all-time high followed by a drop. But this year is different because the U.S. is pro-crypto and other countries are following that lead.
Zhao doesn’t trade, saying he holds Bitcoin and BNB (CRYPTO: BNB) without attempting to time the market.
On a multi-year view, CZ is confident Bitcoin is headed higher, calling the direction “very easy to predict” over a five to ten year horizon.
Binance US Is Coming Back
Zhao confirmed Binance US is preparing a comeback after the SEC dropped its lawsuit “with prejudice”—meaning it cannot be brought back.
“The business got destroyed. They lost the banking channels in 2023 after the SEC lawsuit. But now they got a banking channel back,” Zhao said.
Moreover, Binance US has a “huge cost fee advantage” over competitors like Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) due to a much lower cost structure, allowing it to offer much lower fees.
Zhao saw Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong in Davos and said the space needs multiple exchanges for competition to benefit consumers.
Trump Pardon: No Connection To World Liberty Financial
Zhao also addressed controversy around his October 2025 pardon, denying any connection to Binance’s relationship with the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial (CRYPTO: WLFI) crypto venture.
“Based on my knowledge, there’s really no connection,” he said.
He clarified that MGX’s $2 billion payment to Binance in USD1 stablecoin was a transaction payment, not an investment in World Liberty Financial.
Binance converted portions of the payment immediately and never intended to hold the full amount.
Zhao has never met Trump directly and said he’s never talked to him or shaken hands with him.
Prison And Regrets
Zhaoserved four months in prison in 2024 after pleading guilty to enabling money laundering. His first roommate was a double murderer serving 30 years.
Asked what he’d do differently, Zhao said: “I would have blocked US users from day one.”
The pardon lifted what he called a psychological burden. He was technically a free man before but with felon status—now he’s fully free.
What Happens Next
Zhao owns a large but undisclosed stake in Binance and has no plans to return operationally.
He spends time working on Giggle Academy, a free education platform, and advising governments on crypto regulation.
For Bitcoin, the super cycle call sets up 2026 as a test of whether institutional adoption and regulatory clarity can override Bitcoin’s historical cyclical pattern.
Image: Shutterstock
