Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s newly released memoir has reignited a long-running dispute with OKX founder Star Xu, reviving allegations tied to contract forgery and past exchange controversies.
In “Freedom of Money,” CZ recounts a disputed contract episode at OKX Coin and claims rival exchanges attempted to undermine him through coordinated negative campaigns during his early career.
Xu rejected the claims and publicly criticised CZ, calling him “a habitual liar” while disputing multiple assertions in the book, including allegations related to forged agreements and historical events.
The dispute revisits a 2014 contract involving Roger Ver, with prior OKCoin materials alleging CZ altered agreement terms and forged signatures, claims he previously denied.
It also references a 2020 incident when OKX, then operating as OKEx, halted withdrawals for several weeks while Xu was reportedly under soft detention, a situation CZ contrasted with Huobi’s handling of a similar case.
Xu has pushed back on the memoir’s narrative, arguing it misrepresents events including internal disputes, market conduct allegations, and claims involving figures such as Justin Sun.
A spokesperson for CZ said the book reflects his personal perspective rather than a definitive investigation, adding that readers should interpret the account independently.