Millions of people know Binance. Far fewer know the woman who helped build it

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From a newly launched exchange to global blockchain business, Yi He has been integral in driving Binance's extraordinary rise, powering the strategy, culture and fiercely user-focused philosophy that defines it today. As Co-CEO, she oversees HR, marketing, communications and customer support, spanning more than 2,000 people, a third of Binance's workforce.

Her days are a series of meetings and decisions that come with the relentless pace of running one of the world's largest companies. But there is more to her story than the boardroom: a personal journey that began far from the business hubs she frequents today.

Yi was born in rural Sichuan Province, western China, where higher education was out of reach for most families. Her parents, both primary school teachers, borrowed money to fund hers, an exception, she has said, where she grew up. “My father not only placed high requirements on my academic performance, but also sent me to training school to study ink wash painting,” she recalled.

Most students in her village dropped out of school before 16. Then, in 2013, she encountered Bitcoin. “It was overwhelmingly enlightening,” she said. “I was resolute in quitting my job as a television anchor and entering the blockchain industry.”

Her working life started far more humbly. As a student, she spent weekends promoting soft drinks outside a supermarket, determined to hit the highest sales volume. Within two months she would become the supermarket's top promotion leader. “Life is full of surprises,” she said. “Work hard.”

A detour into television followed. Nominated for a hosting role almost by chance, Yi spent two years travelling China as a TV presenter. Her entry into crypto came in 2014 when she co-founded the digital asset exchange OKCoin, growing its market share in China by 60 percent during a bear market. It was there she first worked with a CTO she had appointed to the team, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who left the company in 2015. The partnership paused, but not for long.

In between, Yi served as Vice President at Yixia Technology, a mobile video company behind apps including Miaopai, leading branding and marketing efforts that helped drive the firm's valuation past US$3 billion. On 8 August 2017, she left to join CZ at his newly founded company, Binance, saying she would “start again at age 30.”

At Binance, Yi took on marketing and growth while CZ focused on technology, personally training the team from day one. “An hour in the crypto world was worth a year in the law of the jungle in the real world,” she said. On 18 December 2017, five months after launch, Binance recorded a staggering US$3 billion in trading volume in a single day, becoming the world's largest crypto exchange.

That user-first instinct has stayed with her. Still known across the crypto community as Binance's “Chief Customer Service Officer,” Yi has said there is no success in this industry without taking responsibility for the community. She has also championed transparency, introducing some of the industry's first weekly and monthly reports and helping establish the SAFU emergency fund for users.

She has also been a relentless advocate for women in tech, an industry that remains overwhelmingly male. Today, nearly 40 percent of Binance's employees are women, well above industry norms.

Beyond Binance, Yi founded Binance Labs, now rebranded YZi Labs, and spearheaded the creation of Binance Charity which has directed more than US$35 million to over 3.6 million beneficiaries across 85-plus countries.

From a supermarket promotion table in Sichuan to an industry titan at the helm of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Yi’s philosophy has never changed, built on hard work and staying close to the people you serve.

A short video featuring Yi is available [here]

Binance is a leading global blockchain ecosystem behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and registered users. Binance is trusted by more than 310 million people in 100+ countries for its industry-leading security, transparency, trading engine speed, protections for investors, and unmatched portfolio of digital asset products and offerings from trading and finance to education, research, social good, payments, institutional services, and Web3 features. Binance is devoted to building an inclusive crypto ecosystem to increase the freedom of money and financial access for people around the world with crypto as the fundamental means. For more information, visit: https://www.binance.com.

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