Key Takeaways
Crypto payments adoption remains limited after a decade of development
Meme coins are highly speculative assets, most lack longevity
Global crypto regulation remains fragmented, regulatory passporting can be a near-term solution
CZ at Davos 2026 on Crypto Payments, Meme Coins, and Regulation
Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) addressed crypto payments, meme coins, and regulation at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, highlighting structural challenges across the global financial system and crypto market. His remarks focused on adoption gaps in crypto payments, speculative risks of meme coins, and why unified global regulation on crypto remains unlikely in the near term.
Adoption of Crypto Payments Falls Short of Expectations
CZ said crypto payments adoption has not met early expectations, despite more than a decade of development. He noted that Bitcoin and crypto payments are still not mainstream.
CZ compared crypto payments to other breakthrough technologies, where most experiments fail but a few successes drive exponential impact.
Regulatory Passporting May Come Before Global Oversight
