Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN Tech Summit, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) outlined his post-Binance priorities, highlighting a pivot toward basic education, targeted startup investments, regulatory advising, and the transformative economic potential of blockchain for developing nations like the Philippines.

Having stepped down from day-to-day corporate operations, CZ shared that he now divides his time across four primary areas: advisory work with roughly a dozen governments on crypto policy, mentorship for early-stage founders, startup investments via YZi Labs, and his non-profit educational venture, Giggle Academy.

Giggle Academy, a zero-cost, non-monetized platform aimed at early childhood education, has experienced explosive growth. The app has expanded its user base tenfold over the past six months, growing from 100,000 users at the start of the year to over one million kids today.

Designed completely free of advertisements, subscriptions, or paywalls, the platform currently targets children aged two to six, focusing primarily on foundational language learning.

"I tried to figure out what's the most positive contribution I can make," CZ said regarding the inspiration behind the project. "Money is important up to a point, but it doesn't scale your happiness. Helping others provides intrinsic reward. If we can help educate millions or hundreds of millions of kids, that improves lives universally."

While Giggle Academy is currently focused on early childhood literacy, CZ envisions leveraging emerging technologies like AI to deliver personalized, adaptive curriculums globally, moving past traditional factory-model classroom setups.

Addressing Binance's regional footprint, CZ confirmed that Binance Philippines has secured regulatory authorization to operate within the local sandbox framework. The platform has completed integration steps with local banking partners and is prepared to launch localized services shortly.

Beyond trading access, CZ emphasized the critical role of daily financial literacy, pointing to resources such as Binance Academy. He advised individuals to dedicate 10 minutes each day to learning foundational financial concepts—from interest rate mechanics to risk mitigation strategies.

"Consistency is key," CZ said. "Understanding how money and financial instruments work allows people to make smarter choices—whether that's evaluating mortgages or navigating new asset classes like crypto."

CZ voiced strong optimism regarding the Philippines' position in the global digital landscape. Citing the nation's young, tech-savvy population and heavy reliance on overseas foreign worker (OFW) remittances, he underscored how blockchain networks could eliminate exorbitant transaction fees imposed by legacy financial intermediaries.

CZ mentions that decentralized rails can reduce transfer costs exponentially.

"If the Philippines establishes clear, effective regulatory frameworks and encourages top-tier industry participation, it has every ingredient necessary to become the crypto hub of Asia," CZ stated. "With the right approach, the country could potentially rival or overtake regional centers like Singapore in the digital economy space, delivering massive long-term economic benefits to the Filipino people."