Why Changpeng Zhao Believes Education Behind Bars Can Change Everything

When Michael Santos sat down with Changpeng Zhao—the founder of Binance, author of Freedom of Money, and one of the most influential figures in the world of blockchain—the conversation wasn't about markets or technology trends. It was about something more personal: the people the world tends to forget, and what it takes to give them a real second chance.

CZ, as he's known globally, has the kind of attention that presidents and heads of state compete for. But in this conversation, he turned his focus toward members of a community who have no access to the internet, no platform, and often no advocate. The reason is simple: he's been there too.

A Shared Experience That Shaped a Mission

Both Santos and CZ have lived through incarceration, and that common ground anchored the entire conversation. CZ spent four months in prison—a short sentence by most standards, as he readily acknowledged—but the experience left a lasting impression.

He described prison as unpredictable, unpleasant, and largely outside one's control, full of unknowns at every turn. And he didn't shy away from a harder truth: he believes many people behind bars don't belong there, many are serving sentences far longer than warranted, and the system frequently gets it wrong in both directions. But his focus, like Santos's, stayed on the people who are there now and the help they need.

That's what drew him to support Prison Professors and its mission of providing free education to people in prison. As he put it, the work is fantastic, and he was simply happy to help.

The Case for Education in Prison

When Santos asked what would have helped during his own time inside, CZ's first answer was immediate: education.

He pointed out that prison libraries tend to be stocked with fiction but starved of current, practical educational material—a gap he finds puzzling, since most information today is freely available and books aren't hard to print. He went further, suggesting that controlled access to digital information could be possible without compromising security, allowing people to keep learning and stay current with the world they'll eventually rejoin.

The stakes, in his view, are high. People who leave prison without skills or up-to-date knowledge aren't prepared to earn a good living, and that lack of preparation makes them more vulnerable to returning. Education isn't a luxury in this framing—it's a direct line to breaking the cycle of recidivism.

Time Is the One Thing You Have—and the Hardest to Use

One of the more striking parts of the conversation centered on how time actually works in prison. There's plenty of it, CZ noted, but very little freedom to decide how to spend it.

He described the default rhythm of prison life—dominoes in the common area, TV all day, idle conversation—as time wasted, and he argued that idleness itself can breed violence and unhappiness, increasing the burden on the institution. The alternative is the quiet satisfaction of improving a little every day, whether through knowledge, a skill, or a sport. He compared it to snowboarding: the appeal is the daily increment of progress.

For himself, he kept busy by reading. But he was candid that not everyone can do that alone, which is why structured opportunities matter. His wish list was specific—prisons should offer training in AI, blockchain, and internet skills—so people can make real use of their time and cause less trouble in the process.

A Personal Endorsement for Financial Literacy

Through Prison Professors, CZ donated Binance Academy content to be brought into prisons—a move that occasionally meets resistance from administrators unsure of its legitimacy. So Santos asked him to address it directly, and CZ did.

He gave his full permission to use Binance Academy content, noting that it's free and reaches an audience the academy couldn't otherwise serve, since incarcerated people don't have computer access. Then he made the broader case for why it matters: without understanding money and the technology behind it, managing finances is difficult even with a steady job.

His argument tied financial literacy to survival after release—protecting yourself from inflation, recognizing scams, and learning skills like AI, programming, or marketing that open up honest ways to earn a living. For someone serving five, ten, or twenty years, learning about these new technologies is what keeps them from being blindsided when they walk out.

How Web3 Quietly Built a Community of Supporters

Perhaps the most surprising thread of the conversation was about a group of donors Santos has never met. Through Freedom of Money and the Web3 community, more than half a million dollars was donated to support free courses for people in prison—contributions from strangers around the world who simply believe in the mission.

CZ explained the mechanics in plain terms. Traditional fundraising depends on convincing a handful of wealthy, busy people to write big checks. Web3 flips that model: it lets little guys anywhere in the world contribute to a cause they believe in, $50 or $100 at a time, with those small amounts adding up to something significant.

He also pointed to a cultural element—a meme coin community with a sense of fun and shared identity that fuels the giving. Before this technology existed, he noted, it simply wasn't feasible for someone in India to send $10 across the world; the transaction costs were prohibitive. Web3 removed that barrier, and the result is a large base of small contributors powering real change.

A Mission Built on Belief

By the close of the conversation, the gratitude was mutual. Santos shared that CZ has donated four times—$500,000 on each occasion, totaling $2 million—which is what allows Prison Professors to provide everything at no cost. No one ever pays a penny.

Santos was equally clear about his own stake in the mission: he works without compensation and has never taken a penny from the organization, committed to helping as many people as possible earn freedom. CZ, for his part, closed with simple encouragement and thanks for the work being done for people in difficult situations.

What emerges from the conversation isn't just a story about donations. It's a portrait of two people who've seen the inside of the system and refuse to accept that the people there should be written off. Education, financial literacy, and the unlikely generosity of a global community—stitched together by a shared belief that everyone deserves the tools to build a better life.