{"id":"ben-zhou","title":"Ben Zhou","content":"**Ben Zhou** is a Chinese crypto entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit), a [centralized exchange](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cex-centralized-exchange) he helped launch in 2018.[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-XfpSSEDTfS)​[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-sx5Yz7pSAV) Zhou began trading [cryptocurrencies](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) in 2016 and built an early following through educational content on platforms such as YouTube and WeChat.[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-sx5Yz7pSAV)​[\\[3\\]](#cite-id-6axro45Jcg)​\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](cMXKTnascpk)\n\n## Education & Early Life\n\nBen Zhou was born in Hangzhou, China, in 1990, and relocated to New Zealand with his family at the age of 11. According to Zhou, his parents instilled values of diligence and perseverance, while also fostering his interest in baseball, which he pursued throughout his schooling, including college.\n\nZhou attended Earlham College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 2010.\n\nDespite initial difficulties adjusting to different cultures, he later pursued further studies in the United States before returning to China after completing his education.[[3]](#cite-id-6axro45Jcg)[[4]](#cite-id-8kY7UziWKb)\n\n## Crypto Journey\n\nBen Zhou's interest in [cryptocurrencies](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) began in 2016 when he was introduced to [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology by a friend. Recognizing the potential of this emerging digital realm, Zhou delved into research and began trading [cryptocurrencies](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency).[[2]](#cite-id-sx5Yz7pSAV)[[1]](#cite-id-XfpSSEDTfS)[[3]](#cite-id-6axro45Jcg)\n\nObserving the rapid growth of the crypto industry in 2017, Zhou identified a lack of awareness among users regarding its intricacies. To address this gap, he initially started a YouTube channel with the aim of educating viewers about [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency). Additionally to YouTube, he used WeChat to spread information, where he gained around 20k followers.[[2]](#cite-id-sx5Yz7pSAV)[[1]](#cite-id-XfpSSEDTfS)[[3]](#cite-id-6axro45Jcg)\n\n## Career\n\nSince co-founding [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) in 2018, Ben Zhou has served as its chief executive officer, leading the exchange’s overall strategy and operations.\n\nPrior to this role, Zhou embarked on his career in China after completing college, serving as the Greater China region manager at XM, an international forex brokerage company, for seven years.[[3]](#cite-id-6axro45Jcg)[[4]](#cite-id-8kY7UziWKb)[[2]](#cite-id-sx5Yz7pSAV)[[1]](#cite-id-XfpSSEDTfS)\n\n### Bybit\n[Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit), founded by Ben Zhou, aims to enhance the standards of [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) derivative exchanges and enhance trading experiences.\n\nBen Zhou, leveraging his experience in the forex trading industry, identified inefficiencies in the [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) derivatives market and sought to address them through [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit).\n\nAccording to Zhou, one key focus was on improving order execution and reducing order rejections to ensure efficient fulfillment of traders' basic needs.\n\nAdditionally, [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) intends to prioritize customer service, offering clients direct access to support representatives online and fostering transparency by allowing clients to connect with the team via social media platforms. By organizing offline meetups and seminars, Zhou claims Bybit establishes closer connections with its clients.\n\n> “I wanted to make an exchange where clients are able to find our customer support at any time of the day and talk to them directly online.”\n\nFurthermore, Ben Zhou expresses the importance of providing educational resources to traders launched the [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) Academy, offering webinars and seminars covering topics such as margin trading, risk management, technical analysis, and fundamental analysis.[[1]](#cite-id-XfpSSEDTfS)\n\nAs part of his public-facing leadership at Bybit, Zhou has personally announced some new listings, including the June 19, 2024 listing of BIAO, a memecoin on the [Base](https://iq.wiki/wiki/base) [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), which he promoted on his X (formerly Twitter) account as a response to community demand.[[7]](#cite-id-ZpvalUCmnr)\n\n## Bybit Hack and Recovery Efforts\n\nOn February 21, 2025, [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) experienced a significant security breach, resulting in the theft of approximately $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion in [Ether (ETH)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum). The attack is linked to the Lazarus Group, a cybercriminal organization believed to be state-backed by North Korea.\n\nThe hackers exploited a vulnerability in the process of transferring funds from [cold](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cold-wallet) (offline) to warm (online) [wallets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency-wallet). They reportedly altered the contract logic, split the stolen funds across 39 different wallets, and may have compromised private keys or used blind signature tactics to bypass security measures. The stolen assets included staked [Ether](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum), complicating recovery efforts.\n\nFollowing the hack, Ben Zhou confirmed the incident and assured users that [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) maintained 1:1 backing for all assets and remained solvent. Bybit quickly reported the breach to authorities and [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) analytics firms. Withdrawal services were fully restored within 12 hours of the incident.\n\nIn the days following the attack, [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) saw a $4 billion inflow, helping to offset the losses. Tether froze $181,000 in fraudulent [USDt](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether). [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) also launched a bounty program, offering a 10% reward for information leading to the recovery of stolen funds.\n\nBy February 24, 2025, [Bybit](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bybit) announced the recovery of $1.23 billion in [ETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum), covering the deficit caused by the hack. An additional $42.89 million in stolen funds were frozen through collaboration with other [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) firms.\n\nBen Zhou has continued to provide updates on the recovery efforts. As of April 21, 2025, approximately 68.57% of the hacked funds were traceable, 27.59% had become untraceable, and 3.84% had been frozen. A significant portion of the untraceable funds were moved through mixers like Wasabi and then transferred across chains using bridges to [peer-to-peer](https://iq.wiki/wiki/peer-to-peer-trading-p2p) and over-the-counter platforms. About 432,748 [ETH](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) (around $1.21 billion) was converted to [Bitcoin (BTC)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) via [Thorchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/thorchain), with 67.25% of that amount (10,003 [BTC](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin)) spread across numerous [wallets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency-wallet).\n\nBy early 2025, the bounty program had received thousands of reports, with 70 deemed valid, and $2.18 million in [USDt](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) paid out to those who assisted in freezing assets, as Bybit sought assistance from bounty hunters to decode mixers and recover the remaining funds.[[6]](#cite-id-A7a38aaboA)[[5]](#cite-id-eax11EAFcu)","summary":"Ben Zhou is the Co-founder and CEO of Bybit, a centralized exchange platform (CEX) with a large user base, originally from Hangzhou, China.","images":[{"id":"QmRPk1KT45vTadUEMtiRbSkRqjesK3b6of7LZbViDNSict","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"People in 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Cryptonica\",\"timestamp\":1749515164803},{\"id\":\"eax11EAFcu\",\"url\":\"https://www.ccn.com/education/crypto/ben-zhou-bybit-1-5-billion-hack-explained/\",\"description\":\"CCN.com article on Bybit hack\",\"timestamp\":1749515164803},{\"id\":\"A7a38aaboA\",\"url\":\"https://news.bitcoin.com/bybit-ceo-ben-zhou-provides-update-on-hacked-funds-and-recovery-efforts/\",\"description\":\"Bitcoin.com News article on Bybit hack update\",\"timestamp\":1749515164803},{\"id\":\"ZpvalUCmnr\",\"url\":\"https://x.com/benbybit/status/1803375172579389873\",\"description\":\"Ben Zhou announces BIAO listing on X\",\"timestamp\":1754402235483},{\"id\":\"1hkiDcTH46\",\"url\":\"https://cointelegraph.com/news/ben-zhou-details-bybit-s-2025-agenda-with-a-focus-on-trust-liquidity-and-web3\",\"description\":\"Ben Zhou details Bybit’s 2025 agenda\",\"timestamp\":1755835411103},{\"id\":\"2PcIdZ9bR0\",\"url\":\"https://www.ainvest.com/news/bybit-ceo-ben-zhou-outlines-bold-roadmap-crypto-future-mid-year-keynote-2508/\",\"description\":\"Bybit CEO Ben Zhou Outlines Bold Roadmap\",\"timestamp\":1755835411103},{\"id\":\"WglI8hjVjl\",\"url\":\"https://www.odaily.news/en/post/5205557\",\"description\":\"Bybit co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou outlined a new blueprint\",\"timestamp\":1755835411103},{\"id\":\"xmfvolpw63\",\"url\":\"https://cointelegraph.com/news/era-pure-crypto-exchanges-end-bybit-ceo\",\"description\":\"Bybit CEO Says Pure Crypto Exchange Era Is Ending\",\"timestamp\":1790712060951},{\"id\":\"cmi9mvp5k7\",\"url\":\"https://tradersunion.com/news/market-voices/show/3482939-bybit-financial-platform-evolution/\",\"description\":\"Ben Zhou: Bybit Evolves From Crypto Exchange to Financial Platform\",\"timestamp\":1790712060951},{\"id\":\"qzavsc7ks3\",\"url\":\"https://tradersunion.com/news/market-voices/show/3552979-institutions-onchain-yield-access/\",\"description\":\"Onchain Yield-Bearing Assets Become Accessible for Institutions, Ben Zhou Notes\",\"timestamp\":1790712060951},{\"id\":\"gezfru4cro\",\"url\":\"https://en.bloomingbit.io/feed/news/120682\",\"description\":\"Bybit CEO Says Bitcoin Still Has a Long Way to Go Before Becoming 'Digital Gold'\",\"timestamp\":1790712060951},{\"id\":\"qe6r7cxb3t\",\"url\":\"https://coinfomania.com/bitcoin-still-far-from-digital-gold-says-bybits-ben-zhou/\",\"description\":\"Bitcoin Still Far from ‘Digital Gold’, Says Bybit’s Ben Zhou\",\"timestamp\":1790712060951},{\"id\":\"7tg7zqhrg4\",\"url\":\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bybit-ceo-ben-zhou-the-future-of-exchanges-lies-beyond-trading-302810805.html\",\"description\":\"Bybit CEO Ben Zhou: The Future of Exchanges Lies Beyond Trading\",\"timestamp\":1790953312441},{\"id\":\"f0q94psnne\",\"url\":\"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/09/10/crypto-exchange-giant-bybit-to-offer-european-super-app-with-stocks-derivatives/\",\"description\":\"Crypto Exchange Giant Bybit to Offer European Super-App With Stocks, Derivatives\",\"timestamp\":1790953312441},{\"id\":\"u9q26rzpxa\",\"url\":\"https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/bybit-ceo-ben-zhou-tokenization-will-reshape-global-finance-faster-than-expected-at-goldman-sachs-asia-pacific-fintech-conference-2026-302780972.html\",\"description\":\"Bybit CEO Ben Zhou: Tokenization Will Reshape Global Finance Faster Than Expected at Goldman Sachs Asia Pacific FinTech Conference 2026\",\"timestamp\":1790953312441}]"},{"id":"main-image-origin","value":"{\"imageId\":\"QmRPk1KT45vTadUEMtiRbSkRqjesK3b6of7LZbViDNSict\",\"originalId\":\"QmeSgkt4MPwAfcktTfp7niDzbnX4d6NnhaWv1dJVcsSzx3\"}"},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"QmVwmoxUEQacBgPnaeqiVR7KrzGG9BCXtt1YBDySoBJLdU"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"Trim Ben Zhou wiki and update timeline"},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"QmVwmoxUEQacBgPnaeqiVR7KrzGG9BCXtt1YBDySoBJLdU"}],"events":[{"title":"Born in Hangzhou, China","date":"1990-01-01","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Ben Zhou is born in Hangzhou, China.","link":"","country":"China","continent":"Asia","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"7303ee16-b0c3-4ced-bb6b-8859ecb3c2ad"},{"title":"Begins studies in New Zealand","date":"2001-01-01","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Moves to New Zealand with his family and continues schooling there.","link":"","country":"New 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