CZ Pitching Sovereign Tokenization to 12 Governments at Davos
Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao is advising 12 nations on tokenizing infrastructure and commodities, opening a new front in sovereign crypto adoption.
Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is back on the world stage, and he is pitching sovereign states on a liquidity exit strategy. Speaking from the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the former Binance CEO disclosed he is in active talks with "probably a dozen" governments to tokenize national assets, ranging from infrastructure to real estate and commodities.
This marks CZ’s most significant strategic pivot since launching YZi Labs. The pitch is simple: cash-strapped governments can use blockchain to fractionalize state-owned equity, bypassing slow traditional privatization routes. "This way the government can actually realize their financial gains first, and use that to develop those industries," Zhao told the Davos panel.
"I’m talking with probably a dozen governments about tokenizing some of their assets… massive infrastructure projects, national real estate portfolios, and essential commodities."
The Sovereign Pivot
The discrepancy is sharp: while many jurisdictions tighten retail crypto rails, they are quietly soliciting advice on institutional-grade tokenization. Zhao’s specific involvement with Kyrgyzstan (advising on a gold-backed stablecoin) and the Pakistan Crypto Council indicates this is operational, not hypothetical.
The market response was muted but stable. BNB held the $888 level (-0.2%), signaling that the market views CZ’s new venture as additive rather than a distraction from the exchange business. Bitcoin remains in the $89,000–$90,000 corridor, absorbing the Davos news cycle with minimal volatility.
Institutional Convergence
CZ’s sovereign push aligns perfectly with the narrative coming from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who also spoke at WEF. Fink reiterated that the industry is at the "beginning of the tokenization of all assets," specifically targeting the $4 trillion held in digital wallets. The parallel is clear: BlackRock wants to tokenize private markets; CZ is targeting the public sector.
For governments, the incentive is liquidity. Tokenization offers a mechanism to unlock capital from illiquid national resources without selling entire controlling stakes to foreign powers, a geopolitical arbitrage that legacy finance cannot offer.
