From a rural girl to the Binance leader, how did He Yi become a legend in the Crypto world?

A Low-Key Business Miracle

In the global cryptocurrency market, there is a name that is often mentioned but rarely given attention—He Yi.

If CZ is the “face” of Binance, then He Yi is the actual controller of this billion-dollar empire. Her story is not a overnight wealth legend but a business textbook about choices, decisions, and persistence.

The most astonishing figure is: her 900,000 RMB investment in 2017 to buy BNB, which appreciated over 1,200 times in the following years, ultimately reaching a scale of $150 million. But more importantly, it’s not the wealth itself that matters, but how she made the right decisions at every critical moment of Binance.

Background Doesn’t Determine the Ending; Choices Decide the Life Path

He Yi’s early life is enough to be made into an inspiring movie: born in 1986 in a mountainous area of Sichuan, lost her father at age 9, dropped out of school at 16 to work in the city.

But she chose not to accept hardship passively. Instead, this intelligent girl spent 10 years transforming from a frontline sales clerk to a media professional—she discovered consumer psychology while selling drinks in a supermarket; became a store manager at 18, mastering personnel and cost management; later studied psychology, and accumulated media resources and connections as a host.

These seemingly unrelated experiences all played a role after she entered the crypto world. She understood user psychology, marketing communication, and crisis management—these three skills combined defined her later core value at Binance.

Those Who Seize Key Moments Drive History

Spring Festival 2014, a phone call changed He Yi’s life trajectory. A friend from OKCoin invited her to promote a Bitcoin red envelope campaign. He Yi didn’t reject this unfamiliar field—instead, she delved into research and discovered the disruptive potential of decentralization and global circulation for the financial system.

She joined OKCoin, forming the “Golden Triangle” with Xu Mingxing and later CZ. This trio was powerful: strategy, technology, and market each played their part. Soon, OKCoin became the largest trading platform in China by trading volume.

But disagreements eventually arose. In 2015, conflicts over technology and strategy led to a split in the core team, and He Yi chose to leave.

More importantly, she honored her non-compete agreement, demonstrating professional integrity that earned her respect in the industry. In this “short-term gains” circle, a person’s trustworthiness is as valuable as money.

2017: The Woman Who Seized the Era’s Window

When CZ founded Binance in June 2017, He Yi faced not a proven project but a risky gamble.

Binance’s early difficulties were real: BNB issued at $1, dropped to $0.5 within two months. When everyone advised her to return to a high-paying job, He Yi made a decision—she invested her only 900,000 RMB entirely into BNB.

This was not blind optimism but a deep understanding of the market: if she didn’t believe in this project herself, how could she convince users?

In September of the same year, regulatory policies changed dramatically. But He Yi saw not a crisis but an opportunity. Domestic exchanges shut down one after another, and users needed new trading platforms. Binance’s overseas infrastructure became the channel to serve these users.

Her three-pronged strategy ultimately proved her strategic vision: conscientious refunds (returning at market price rather than issuance price), user education, and global expansion. Within three months, Binance went from near collapse to the world’s largest trading volume. BNB’s price soared from $0.5 to $20.

Crisis Public Relations: From Hacks to Regulatory Storms

2018’s hacking attack, 2023’s CZ imprisonment and $4.3 billion fine—every crisis Binance faced tested He Yi’s decision-making ability.

Her approach was consistent: transparent communication, swift action, and results-oriented.

During the hacking incident, she used reserve funds to fully compensate affected users; after CZ’s confession, she stabilized employees and users, appointed experienced compliance professionals as CEO, while herself maintaining operational control.

What was the result? BNB not only didn’t collapse but hit new highs amid the storm. User numbers grew from 250 million to 280 million, and trading volume share remained around 39%.

This ability to navigate cycles stems from her obsession with “creating long-term value.” She once said, “Money is just a number; what matters is using resources to create greater value.”

From Behind the Scenes to the Spotlight: The Queen Ascends

December 2025, He Yi was appointed Co-CEO, officially stepping into the spotlight. But those familiar with Binance know this is not about gaining power, but about confirming it.

In an interview, He Yi set a grand goal: to reach 1 billion Binance users. This is not wishful thinking. Her logic is: cryptocurrencies are transforming from niche investment assets into mainstream financial tools, just like the evolution of the internet.

She even outlined Binance’s future ecosystem: Web3 infrastructure, digital banking, NFT platforms, education and training. The core goal is to make cryptocurrencies as convenient and easy to use as traditional currencies.

What This Story Tells Us

He Yi’s success has no secrets, only logic:

First, the right people make the right decisions at the right time. When she entered the crypto industry in 2014, it was still a geek’s world; in 2017, she chose to follow CZ in founding Binance, just before the exchange boom; in 2023, during the CZ controversy, she demonstrated independent leadership.

Second, vision determines height. She did not indulge in personal wealth growth but focused on serving 1 billion users and building Web3 infrastructure. This mindset attracted like-minded talent and genuine institutional capital.

Third, trust is a scarce asset. In an industry full of fraud, He Yi built a trust moat through actions like honoring non-compete agreements, full compensation during hacks, transparent communication during regulatory storms. This trust ultimately translated into user stickiness and brand premium.

From a rural girl under kerosene lamps to the queen controlling a billion-dollar platform, He Yi proves with her life that: background does not determine the end; decisions shape the trajectory.

In this era full of variables, she gives us a definitive answer—as long as you are prepared, willing to choose, and persistent, anyone can rewrite their story.