Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has publicly distanced himself from three memecoins on the BNB Chain, whose creators actively used his name for promotion. In a recent statement, CZ emphasized that he does not own these tokens and was not even aware of their existence until promotional posts appeared. Thus, he effectively warned investors: the entire marketing campaign built on his authority has no real foundation.
The catalyst for the investigation was a post by Chinese-language crypto influencer Crypto小宇, which garnered over 222,000 views. The author, with an audience of 67,000 followers, presented the tokens $CZ, $TCC, and $AB as leaders of the new meme season on the BNB Chain. Two of the three tickers — $TCC and $AB — were directly linked to Zhao's name. The post claimed that the interaction of the TCC project with CZ "launched" the entire meme season, and that behind the $AB token was an influential person from the Middle East who allegedly frequently meets with Zhao in person.
Analysis of these claims reveals a typical pump campaign scheme: creators attempt to create an illusion of an insider connection with a key industry figure. However, CZ shattered this construct with a single tweet, stating that he has no affiliation with any of the listed projects. He also added, "may the best memes win," thereby indirectly advising investors to rely on their own analysis rather than big names.
It is worth noting that such manipulations are not uncommon in the memecoin market. Scammers have repeatedly used CZ's name to attract capital, especially during periods of heightened hype on the BNB Chain. Now, with trading volume on the network exceeding one billion dollars per month, the number of such schemes is only growing.
Expert opinion: Using well-known names to promote memecoins is a classic red flag for investors. If a project is built solely on an association with a public figure, rather than on its own mechanics or community, the likelihood of a scam or sharp dump is extremely high. Before investing in such tokens, it is necessary to thoroughly check on-chain data and the presence of a real development team, rather than blindly trusting promotional posts.