YZi Labs, the rebranded venture arm of Binance, has unveiled a $1 billion investment fund aimed at fostering innovation and development within the BNB Chain ecosystem.
Key Takeaways:
- YZi Labs introduces a $1 billion fund to support projects on the BNB Chain.
- The fund targets initiatives in trading, real-world assets (RWAs), artificial intelligence (AI), decentralized finance (DeFi), and crypto wallets.
- Having been released from prison, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has taken a more active role in YZi Labs.
Earlier today, October 8, 2025, YZi Labs, formerly known as the Binance Labs, has unveiled a $1 billion fund dedicated to supporting projects built on the BNB Chain. This strategic move underscores YZi Labs' commitment to expanding the BNB ecosystem and promoting the development of innovative blockchain solutions. In a written article, YZi Labs announced the “$1B builder fund” on their official X (formerly Twitter) account, highlighting the aim of deepening its commitment to founders of the BNB Ecosystem.
As also highlighted in the article, the fund aims to provide financial backing to projects across trading platforms, real-world asset tokenization, AI applications, DeFi protocols, and crypto wallets. By focusing on these areas, YZi Labs hopes to boost the utility and adoption of the BNB Chain, positioning it as a leading blockchain infrastructure.
CZ Zhao Returns to Lead Strategic Initiatives
Binance Founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has assumed a more hands-on role in guiding YZi Labs’ new direction after having released from prison last year. His return marks a pivotal moment for Binance’s venture arm, which has undergone a rebranding and restructuring to emphasize independence while maintaining close strategic alignment with the broader Binance ecosystem.
Analysts and industry observers highlights that Zhao’s renewed involvement may help restore investor confidence and attract more institutional partners to the BNB Chain. His reputation as a visionary leader in the crypto industry remains influential, especially in Asia, where Binance continues to hold a dominant presence.
BNB Responds Positively to Fund Announcement
BNB remains unstoppable and continues to surge in its price amid fund announcement. As of this writing (12:00PM UTC), the token stands at approximately $1,315.17, marking a gain of 0.3% from the previous day’s close. CoinGecko shows that BNB logged an intraday high of $1,330.51 and low of $1,265.67, but varies with other on-chain sources or crypto wallets.
Meannwhile, BNB’s relative strength index (RSI) currently sits around 61, suggesting moderately strong momentum but not yet in overbought territory. The data indicates that the market views the new funding initiative as a long-term growth catalyst rather than a short-term speculative event.
Outlook: Accelerating BNB Ecosystem Growth
This massive amount of investment fund initiated by YZi Labs demonstrates the firm’s long-term confidence in the BNB Chain and its potential to remain one of the most active blockchain ecosystems. With focused investments across DeFi, AI, and tokenization projects, this move give higher possibilities that this will to lead to innovation as well as attracting new developers and institutional backers.
Moreover, with the Binance founder’s active leadership and participation in coming up with strategic initiatives, this can spark a revitalized strategic push for Binance’s broader ecosystem, which can also help it to be open for more collaborations, developer incentives, and ecosystem partnerships.
Summary
YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs) launched a $1B fund to accelerate BNB Chain growth targeting DeFi, RWAs, AI, trading, and wallets as CZ takes a more active role. BNB ticked higher near $1,315, with the market reading the move as a longer-term growth catalyst.
