CZ Fires Back at Crypto Critics Blaming Binance for Price Falls

Highlights:

• CZ told critics to stop blaming Binance for every market drop. 
• He said smart traders double-check negative news because much of it is fake.
• Binance supporters defended CZ, saying criticism stems from frustration rather than serious issues.

Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao pushed back against critics who often blame the exchange for market drops. On X, he said that traders should take responsibility for their own choices instead of placing the burden on Binance.

Zhao noted that while Binance isn’t perfect, smart people now check negative “news” carefully, since much of it is made up. He added that using words like “blame” tends to attract those unwilling to own their actions. His comments subtly questioned the common habit in crypto where exchanges are blamed whenever prices fall.

In a response to a user asking Tether’s Paolo Ardoino to “unfreeze my wallet,” Zhao suggested the issue might involve a police case or an AML flag, and that it would likely be resolved in time. This highlighted that compliance systems, rather than social media complaints, usually determine how funds are handled.

Not saying we are perfect, but at this point, smart people actually triple check any negative "news" on Binance.

They are just making stuff up.

Words like "blame" are designed to only attract people who are unwilling to take responsibility for their own actions. pic.twitter.com/iP2ovRrRiK

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) February 10, 2026

Binance Pushback Gains Support

The community reaction was mixed, though Binance loyalists showed strong support. One user, @Spigg1115, noted that nothing is perfect and frustration often needs a target, adding that “quadruple check” of negative comments is essential. Meanwhile, another BNB account suggested it would be better if everyone focused on building a stronger, higher-quality crypto world for all 8 billion people instead of wasting time on criticism.

Traders also shared sharp observations. One pointed out that falling prices often inspire sensational headlines. Supporters saw the criticism as a stress test that Binance could handle. This reinforced its role as the largest player in the industry.

Market Trends Show Broader Weakness

Zhao defended Binance, but the data showed that the overall market was performing poorly. Bitcoin was trading at $69,000. Within the last 24 hours, it had dropped by 0.12%. Additionally, it had dropped by 30% over the last year.

Ethereum was trading at $2,100. Within the last 24 hours, it had dropped by almost 1%. BNB was trading at $628. Its price had ranged from $617 to $645 over the last 24 hours. This showed that the recent changes in the market had nothing to do with the exchange.

Earlier, Zhao dismissed claims linking Binance to the $19 billion market crash. He described the allegations as unrealistic. He emphasized that liquidations occurred across the entire market and were not caused by Binance, speaking as both a user and a shareholder.

🚨 UPDATE: Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) rejected claims that the exchange was responsible for last October’s crypto market crash. Speaking during a live AMA session, CZ described the accusations as “far fetched” and lacking any solid evidence.

Following the market… pic.twitter.com/hklmtroPgn

— CHAINISLE (@CHAINISLE_MCN) January 31, 2026

Scrutiny increased after Ethena’s USDe stablecoin briefly fell to $0.65 on Binance during the sell-off. The drop was linked to an internal Oracle issue at the exchange. It was not caused by a flaw in USDe itself. Guy Young, founder of Ethena Labs, said the issue affected only a few users. He added that deposit and withdrawal problems worsened the situation. Market makers could not set the price because of these issues. Binance later paid users about $283 million. This reduced the losses but also raised concerns about the exchange’s role in the crash.