CZ Flags AI Generated Fake Account after Binance FUD

CZ exposed a long-running fake account using AI-generated images to pose as a Binance supporter before spreading BNB-related FUD.

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the founder of Binance, has publicly identified and dispelled a concerted disinformation campaign against him and the exchange.

CZ has exposed a long-running fake account that apparently uses AI-generated images to create a loyal supporter before posting a critical “reply”.

Fake Follower Disclosure

The incident started when CZ saw a post from an account called “Wei 威 BNB” claiming to be closing the Binance account due to suspected fraud. This account has 863,000 followers and used photos from the BNB Chain event, making it appear legitimate.

However, the former CEO of Binance said that concerns about the authenticity of the account arose after some testing. First, the account, which had blocked him, had posted several photos purportedly of Zhao posing with a user, all of which appeared to have been altered.

One photo showed Zhao wearing a colored shirt he said he did not own, while another mixed low-resolution photos of himself with Binance CEO Yi He with a sharp image of the account holder. CZ said the first photo is of Aster CEO Leonard.

He also said the account’s history suggested it had changed hands or been compromised years ago. The history of the account shows that it was originally owned by a woman and only posted images of women until July 2015, when it switched to crypto-only content without deleting the previous content.

“It’s either stolen or bought,” CZ wrote.

He criticized the campaign as “lazy” and suggested it may have been organized by a “self-interested” person who is more focused on Binance than his own business.

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Promoter ShirleyXBT also noticed that the account’s profile picture was a fake copy of her picture.

Social Support and Scrutiny Patterns

The disclosure received some support from the crypto community, with World of Dypians CEO Teki thanking CZ for the clarification and admitting that the initial post appeared to be briefly unbelievable.

Commentator Vegas provided a comprehensive analysis, suggesting that attackers fall into three categories: opportunistic farming engagements, truly frustrated traders, and organized FUD campaigns. They also claim that they were paid to spread negative sentiments about Binance, which means that there is a possibility of mergers with major market players or direct competitors.

This latest revelation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of CZ and Binance. On January 28, the crypto entrepreneur faced backlash and allegations that he encouraged risky market behavior after promoting a buy-and-hold investment strategy, forcing him to clarify that his advice was personal and did not apply to all tokens.

In addition, on January 30, Binance announced that it will convert $ 1 billion in its SAFU insurance fund from stablecoins back to Bitcoin, a move that some analysts considered a bullish signal but also maintains the focus on the financial strategies of the exchange.

Despite the criticism, Binance’s market position is still quite strong, with data shared by CryptoQuant at the beginning of the year showing the exchange took 41% of the volume of spot trading and 42% of the volume of Bitcoin futures among the top platforms in 2025.