Twitter monetization and free speech drove Binance’s $500M injection: CZ



Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has defined the reasoning behind its $500 million co-investment into Elon Musk’s Twitter, citing monetization potential, crypto group free speech and the chance to ultimately “assist convey Twitter into Web3.” 

CZ’s feedback got here from an Oct. 31 CNBC Squawk Field phase, the place he defined what drove his co-investment with Elon Musk to amass the social media platform noting:

“I consider Twitter has not been monetized effectively, it has not grown effectively, there’s many tactical issues like bots that spam my feedback, there’s scammer accounts on there, it’s not been run effectively.”

“However I feel the platform has large worth in itself, and particularly now with Elon on the helm, we’re very assured,” he added.

Binance has not wavered in its assist for Musk’s acquisition of Twitter because it first introduced its assist in Could 2022. Different co-investors embody Sequoia Capital Fund, Constancy Administration and Analysis Firm.

The Binance CEO stated Twitter’s troublesome worth valuation didn’t affect its funding choice as they thought-about the long-term prospects to be robust whereas giving crypto a “seat on the desk” in terms of free speech:

“We’re long-term traders, we consider in robust entrepreneurs, we consider in robust platforms, we consider in free speech […] we have a look at this from a ten, 20, 50, 100-year foundation, so just a little worth fluctuation on a month-to-month foundation would not hassle us.”

Nevertheless, choices as to what Twitter accounts are re-activated received’t lie within the fingers of Musk, who stated {that a} new “content material moderation council” will bear the obligation to decide what banned consumer accounts are restored.

Nevertheless, the billionaire entrepreneur confirmed in a tweet that the council will train its discretion with “broadly numerous viewpoints.”

CZ says it invested because it additionally hopes to play an element in Twitter’s eventual transition to Web3, resembling including cryptocurrency-based funds onto the social media platform:

“We wish to assist resolve these speedy issues like charging for memberships [….] that may be achieved very simply by utilizing cryptocurrencies as a way of cost.”

In accordance with a Reuters report on Oct. 28, the crypto trade plans to create a devoted workforce to work on potential crypto and blockchain-based options for Twitter.

The brand new workforce will discover tips on how to construct on-chain options to handle points resembling spam bot accounts.

Associated: Twitter’s high brass gutted as Elon Musk’s takeover begins

Binance’s $500 million funding into Twitter makes them the fourth-largest shareholder within the social media platform amongst 19 traders.

Twitter can be now not a publicly-traded firm, having been delisted from the New York Inventory Change on Oct. 28, following Musk’s choice to take the corporate personal.