Binance co-CEO Yi He named in Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list

Yi He, co-founder and co-CEO of Binance, has been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the most powerful women in business. It’s the latest in a string of accolades for a leader who has quietly become the most influential woman in the crypto industry while steering the world’s largest exchange through one of its rockiest chapters.

Fortune’s profile, published in August 2025, framed Yi He as “the most powerful woman in crypto.” Given that she holds a reported 10% equity stake in Binance, making her a multibillionaire, the title is hard to argue with.

From behind the scenes to the top of the org chart

Yi He co-founded the exchange alongside Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, a relationship that predates Binance itself. She had previously hired CZ at OKCoin, another major crypto exchange, before the two went on to build what would become the dominant trading platform in digital assets.

For years, her official title was Chief Customer Service Officer. Her formal ascent came in December 2025, when she was officially appointed co-CEO alongside Richard Teng during Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai.

Recognition building over time

The Fortune feature isn’t Yi He’s first brush with major media recognition. Bloomberg named her “crypto’s most powerful woman” back in June 2023, well before her co-CEO appointment. In 2025, CoinDesk included her in its “Top 50 Women in Web3 and AI” list.

Yi He’s background adds another interesting dimension. Before entering the crypto world, she worked in marketing and was formerly a television host.

What this means for investors

Binance spent the better part of two years in damage-control mode after CZ pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money laundering laws. The exchange paid a $4.3B settlement. CZ went to prison between 2023 and 2024.

Yi He’s 10% equity stake in Binance means her personal fortune is directly tied to the exchange’s performance and reputation. That alignment of incentives between a company’s leadership and its stakeholders is exactly what investors tend to look for when evaluating corporate governance, especially at a company that recently had its governance questioned by federal prosecutors.

The dual-CEO structure with Richard Teng is worth watching carefully. Where Teng brought regulatory expertise and a traditional finance background, Yi He brought something harder to replicate: she co-founded the exchange and previously oversaw customer service, listings, and investments.

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