Old grudges die hard.
CZ’s memoir just proved it. In Freedom of Money, dropped April 8, Changpeng Zhao drags OKX founder Star Xu back into the mud — accusing him of contract forgery from their OKCoin days and worse. It’s the kind of crypto drama that makes you wonder: haven’t these guys moved on to yachts yet?
Did CZ Forge the Roger Ver Contract?
Here’s the core beef. Back in 2014-2015, CZ was OKCoin’s CTO. He left amid a spat over a deal with Roger Ver’s Bitcoin.com. CZ claimed OKCoin stiffed him; they hit back hard, accusing him of faking a contract version with a sneaky six-month termination clause.
Star Xu resurfaced the evidence on X this week. A notarized video from 2015 shows — gasp — CZ’s QQ account sending two contract versions. Version 8 has the clause. CZ’s defense then? Someone else logged into his account. Xu’s dry retort: “Do you believe such an explanation?”
“CZ is a habitual liar,” Xu posted on X, disputing everything from market manipulation claims to his own marital status.
OKCoin’s old Reddit blast called CZ out for forging Ver’s signature, running bots, and spamming lies post-exit. Brutal. And now, a decade later, CZ flips the script in his book — painting himself as FUD target, rivals plotting to kneecap his tech skills.
But wait. CZ claims OKCoin yanked funding from Binance’s 2017 ICO at the last second. Coordinated sabotage, he says. Skeptical? Yeah, me too — smells like selective memory from the guy who built the biggest exchange.
Why Drag Huobi’s Arrest Into This?
CZ doesn’t stop there. He says Huobi’s Leon Li whispered in 2025 (typo? 2020?) that Xu snitched on him to Chinese cops. Xu? Denies it flat-out. “Purely false information,” he snaps. Adds that big exchanges get complaints daily — doesn’t mean arrests follow.
Remember October 2020? OKX (OKEx then) froze withdrawals for five weeks while Xu was under “soft arrest.” CZ smirks: Xu held the keys solo. Huobi? Kept running when Li got nabbed — better setup, CZ implies.
This is peak crypto pettiness. Like watching tech bros relitigate high school grudges on a blockchain. My unique take: it’s the 2017 Bitcoin Cash fork all over again — Roger Ver vs. the maxis, egos clashing while regulators circle. CZ name-drops Ver here too, tying back to that contract mess. Prediction? Without fresh proof, this fizzles. But it spotlights crypto’s real rot: centralized kings hoarding keys, begging for more crackdowns.
Xu piles on — accuses CZ of market manipulation, snitching on Justin Sun. Relies on old OKCoin docs, no new bombshells. CZ? Silent so far. No response to Xu’s X barrage or our outreach.
Look, memoirs aren’t truth serum. CZ’s book reads like a victory lap — Binance’s rise despite the snakes. But Xu’s rebuttals poke real holes. That QQ video? Still online, damning if legit. Forgery claims aren’t new; they’re zombie drama, revived for book sales maybe.
Is Star Xu’s Pushback Legit?
Xu questions CZ’s entire OKCoin tenure. Overstated tech role? Check. Public smear campaign? Double check. Even Justin Sun informant rumors — CZ denies, Xu insists.
And the marital status jab? Petty gold. Xu: CZ lied about it. Who knows, who cares — but it screams personal.
Crypto’s short history is long on feuds. Mt. Gox collapse feuds. FTX fallout finger-pointing. This? Smaller scale, but same vibe: founders airing dirty laundry while users foot the bill (remember those frozen OKX withdrawals?).
China angle looms large. Xu’s “soft arrest,” Li’s detention — exchanges pausing or not based on key custody. CZ contrasts setups like it’s a gotcha. But Xu’s right: snitch rumors are common parlor games in Beijing’s crypto crackdown.
Bold call: this distracts from bigger fights. US DOJ eyes on Ver (tentative tax deal reported). Aave on OKX’s L2. Real news buried under ego static.
Corporate spin? CZ’s memoir PR drop timed perfectly — feud boosts buzz. Xu’s X thread? Free marketing for OKX amid exchange wars. Nobody loses in crypto mudslinging.
So what’s the takeaway? Trust no one’s origin story. CZ built Binance into a behemoth; Xu grew OKX to rival status. But this 2015 forgery feud? It’s ancient, unresolved, and reeks of bad blood that could spill again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did CZ claim about Star Xu in his memoir?
CZ accuses Xu of contract forgery ties from OKCoin, FUD campaigns, and snitching on Huobi’s Leon Li.
Did CZ forge the OKCoin contract with Roger Ver?
OKCoin claimed yes in 2015, with video evidence of CZ sending the disputed version. CZ blamed account hack.
Why did OKX pause withdrawals in 2020?
Xu was under soft arrest in China; CZ says Xu held keys solo, unlike Huobi’s setup.
