Was Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao a 'walking time bomb'?

The economist known as “Dr. Doom” slammed cryptocurrency platform Binance’s CEO Changpeng Zhao as a “walking time bomb” on Wednesday following the implosion of its rival FTX. Nouriel Roubini, a New York University professor, blasted top figures in the cryptocurrency sector as “con men” just days after leading platform FTX collapsed into bankruptcy.

Who is the CEO of Binance?

Binance was founded by its CEO Changpeng Zhao, a Chinese-Canadian developer commonly referred to as CZ who had previously created high frequency trading software. Zhao started working for the Tokyo Stock Exchange developing software for matching trade orders after leaving college before joining Bloomberg Tradebook.

Will Binance push ahead with FTX?

Having looked under the bonnet, Binance said it could no longer push ahead with the deal. “In the beginning, our hope was to be able to support FTX’s customers to provide liquidity, but the issues are beyond our control or ability to help,” Binance said in a statement. Zhao tweeted that it was a “sad day”.

Who is Changpeng Zhao?

Binance co-founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao was a headline speaker at the Web Summit on 2 November. Photograph: Patrícia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images What happened to FTX and could the crisis harm the rest of crypto?