Freedom of Tea: CZ's 457-Page Literary Opus Drops, OKX Founder Fires Back With 'Habitual Liar' Zing

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), fresh out of a four-month sabbatical at Club Fed, just dropped a 457-page autobiography called "Freedom of Money" on April 8. Apparently, jail time gives you a lot to say—who knew? Unsurprisingly, the memoir's already stirring up drama faster than a stablecoin depeg.

The book chronicles CZ's journey building Binance, but one passage caught serious attention. CZ alleged that his old rival, OKX founder Star Xu, tried to sabotage him with FUD back in the day. He even claimed Xu labeled him an unfit CTO. Imagine getting roasted by your former CTO—you can't even make this stuff up.

CZ didn't stop there. He brought Huobi founder Leon Li into the mix, writing that Li told him in 2025 that Xu had reported him to Chinese authorities—with a screenshot as "proof." Because nothing says credibility like a blurry screenshot forwarded through three WeChat groups.

Xu responded swiftly. "After spending four months in prison, he continues to make false statements to the world," Xu said. "All I can say is: a habitual liar never changes their nature." Ouch. That one landed with the precision of a mempool transaction during peak gas fees.

Xu clarified he has "no intention of revisiting these old issues," but since CZ reignited the matter, he dropped a 10-year-old YouTube video allegedly showing contract forgery evidence.