Star Xu Calls CZ a Liar Over Memoir Allegations

Star Xu, founder of OKX, publicly branded Binance founder Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao a habitual liar on Thursday, April 10, reigniting one of crypto's longest-running founder feuds just days after CZ released his memoir and dragged a decade-old contract dispute back into the open.

What Triggered the New Blowup Between Star Xu and CZ?

The spark this time was a book. CZ published his memoir, titled CZ memoir 'Freedom of Money,' earlier this week, and inside it he addressed the old accusations head-on, saying that 'Out of the blue, Star [Xu] said that I had somehow forged a contract when working there [at OKCoin].' According to CZ's own account, he denied those claims publicly on Reddit back in May 2015, detailing what he described as problems he observed at OKCoin while he was there.

Xu said he had no interest in dredging all this back up, but felt forced to respond. 'I had no intention of revisiting these old issues involving CZ,' he wrote on X, 'but since I've been dragged into this again because of the book, let's restate the facts.' He then went further, referencing a video he says shows conflicting versions of a contract, and adding pointedly: 'After spending four months in prison, he continues to make false statements to the world. A habitual liar never changes their nature.'

After spending four months in prison, he continues to make false statements to the world. A habitual liar never changes their nature.

The 2015 OKCoin Dispute That Started It All

To understand why this feud keeps coming back, you have to go back to 2015. CZ had a brief stint at OKCoin, the exchange Star Xu founded before it eventually evolved into OKX. After his departure, accusations surfaced that CZ had committed 'harmful acts of conduct' and made misleading statements connected to a contract dispute involving early Bitcoin figure Roger Ver. CZ denied those accusations at the time.

That OKCoin contract dispute involving Roger Ver became one of crypto's messier early moments, a preview of the kind of public warfare that would define the industry's first decade. CZ's Reddit post attempting to clear his name only sharpened the divide between the two men. Now, more than ten years later, they're back at it, trading accusations in public with a much larger global audience watching.

The $1 Billion Bet and the Divorce Question

Things got personal fast. Xu raised questions about whether CZ had misrepresented his marital status, pointing to earlier reporting in which CZ's partner was described as his 'wife' in a letter submitted to a judge. Xu said he would publicly apologize if CZ could produce a divorce agreement signed by both parties.

CZ fired back that he is 'officially divorced' and proposed a $1 billion wager, or whatever amount Xu preferred, that the divorce had been finalized. He said lawyers could verify the documents while declining to publish them himself.

Xu passed on the bet. He cited compliance considerations tied to running a regulated exchange as his reason, then shifted the line of questioning to whether CZ's Binance stake had been legally separated as part of any divorce settlement. CZ wasn't interested in going there. 'None of your business,' he said, accusing Xu of using the divorce questions as a distraction from the underlying contract dispute.

None of your business.

What Does This Fight Actually Mean for OKX and Binance?

Probably less than either founder wants to admit. This isn't the first time the two men have clashed in public. Back in January 2026, Xu blamed Binance-linked market dynamics for amplifying the October 10 crypto market crash, a claim Binance and other participants pushed back on. The personal dimension keeps the drama alive, but neither exchange has suffered any measurable operational damage from their founder's feuding so far.

What the timing does reveal is something about CZ's ambitions post-prison. Publishing a memoir within months of completing a four-month prison sentence signals a rehabilitation tour is underway. The book puts CZ's version of contested events on the record, which is precisely why Xu felt compelled to respond. If CZ gets to write the first draft of history, Xu clearly wants veto power over the narrative.

The exchange rivalry between Binance and OKX is real and financially significant. These two platforms collectively handle a dominant share of global crypto trading volume. When their founders go to war on social media, the optics matter to institutional clients, regulators, and potential partners watching from the sidelines. Whether this round of accusations produces any lasting damage to either brand will depend on how long either man keeps feeding the fire.