Yi He Becomes Co-CEO as Binance Expands Global Roadmap

• Yi He assumes the co-CEO role as Binance strengthens its structure and expands its reach.
• Richard Teng states the shared model will guide Binance through evolving digital rules.
• Binance advances pathways as its institutional tools gain stronger traction worldwide.

Binance appointed co-founder Yi He as co-CEO on Wednesday, placing her alongside chief executive Richard Teng in a new leadership structure designed to strengthen the exchange’s global operations, product strategy, and institutional growth. Teng announced the decision during Binance Blockchain Week and said the move followed her long-standing role shaping the company’s vision and community.  He said she had been part of the executive team since Binance launched in 2017 and called the appointment a natural step for the firm as it expands its global footprint.

A Dual Leadership Structure Built on Experience

Teng explained that Yi He had guided marketing, branding, and product development since Binance’s early days. He noted her role in building the platform’s user base through consistent strategic planning and business expansion. Teng added that her leadership would support efforts to strengthen compliance frameworks and deepen user trust as Binance continues to navigate global regulatory expectations.

Yi He said the shared CEO role allows two distinct perspectives to operate together. She pointed to Teng’s background in regulated markets and his early involvement with digital asset oversight during his years as a financial regulator. She stated that both leaders aim to steer the company through a pivotal moment for the industry as adoption grows and institutional demand increases worldwide.

Yi He co-founded Binance with Changpeng “CZ” Zhao in 2017. She later led Binance Labs in 2022, driving the exchange’s venture investments and development programs. She also guided Binance’s branding and business strategy across several major product cycles, which helped raise the firm’s valuation to above $3 billion, according to Binance’s own company disclosures.

A Strategic Voice Expands Beyond the Spotlight

Yi He often operated outside the public sphere while Zhao became Binance’s most visible figure. Yet she shaped core branding campaigns and helped expand global business units during key market cycles. Based on reports from 2023, she held at least a 10% stake in a Cayman-registered entity linked to Binance, highlighting her influence within the organization’s structure.

A Binance spokesperson said her leadership would complement Teng’s steady approach during a period marked by U.S. enforcement actions and the leadership transition that followed CZ’s departure. The spokesperson noted that Yi He has guided product growth and community expansion from the beginning and continues to shape the firm’s bottom-up strategy.

Teng said Binance remains committed to becoming the most trusted and regulated exchange worldwide. He added that Yi He plays a central role in expanding the platform’s global community as the firm works toward reaching one billion users. He also described shared goals in building Web3 infrastructure and increasing financial access through open digital systems.

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Institutional Expansion Gains Momentum

Binance has continued to roll out products for institutional clients. The company launched a concierge-style service in November for family offices, private funds, and asset managers entering crypto for the first time. This service aims to guide firms unfamiliar with custody structures, liquidity needs, and digital asset workflows.

Shortly after, Binance began accepting BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund as off-exchange collateral. This allows institutions to keep their assets with custodians while still accessing trading venues through Binance. The arrangement offers an additional layer of risk management for clients entering the digital asset ecosystem.

In September, Binance introduced a crypto-as-a-service platform for banks, stock exchanges, and brokerages that want to integrate crypto offerings into their existing systems. This followed an August partnership with BBVA, one of Spain’s largest banks, in which Binance agreed to serve as an independent custodian for customer funds.

With these moves underway, Yi He asked one central question during her remarks: How will the industry progress if leadership does not align with both innovation and regulatory experience?