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Four Months of Imprisonment
CZ previously pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws and reached a $4.3 billion settlement agreement with U.S. authorities, which led to his resignation as CEO and a four-month prison sentence. In an interview, CZ stated: “When I first walked in, I saw a room full of heavily tattooed men, tattoos all over their faces and heads, everyone shouting loudly; it was really not fun.” He described the process of being searched upon entering prison as “extremely humiliating” and confessed, “I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone.”
Fear in Prison and Unexpected Friendships
As CZ is not a U.S. citizen, he could not be placed in a minimum-security prison and was instead sent to a low-security facility. His first cellmate was a violent criminal sentenced to 30 years for double homicide. Zhao Changpeng described: “My cellmate was imprisoned for killing two people, but good behavior allowed him to reside in a low-security facility. I lived with him for a few weeks, and we got along quite well.” He also mentioned that despite being a well-known figure in the cryptocurrency world with considerable wealth, he did not receive any special treatment from other inmates, saying, “Everyone was actually very friendly. I even kept in touch with a few of them; there are good people everywhere.”
Psychological Stress and Life Reflection
CZ stated that the hardest part for him was the psychological stress, worrying that his sentence could be extended due to other unforeseen charges. “I saw other friends suddenly facing additional charges inside, and it was really frightening.” This experience made him realize that the most important things are health and family, followed by work and other matters. CZ revealed that he will soon publish a new book that will further share his prison experience.
Softening Attitude Towards SBF
When discussing his former “rival,” SBF, the founder of FTX who was sentenced to 25 years in prison, CZ expressed that his perspective on long-term imprisonment has changed. “I don’t want anyone to experience imprisonment. But bad behavior must be curtailed.” However, CZ believes that long-term imprisonment does little to correct bad behavior, as those sentenced to ten years often begin to view prison life as normal and stop thinking about reforming themselves.
