Binance Founder ‘CZ’ Urges Banks to Adopt BNB as Token

Key Highlights

• Binance’s BNB token reached a record $943 per token, giving it a total market value of $131 billion, which is more than Switzerland’s UBS bank.
• Binance founder Changpeng Zhao publicly urged traditional banks to adopt BNB and offered to help with technical integration.
• Institutional adoption of BNB has grown significantly, particularly in Asia-Pacific regions where on-chain activity increased 69% year-over-year.

Changpeng Zhao, the influential founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has called on traditional banks to integrate BNB into their services. 

Banks need to adopt BNB. 👀

As a small community member, I am happy to help any bank integrate. https://t.co/BQUiBaOX75

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) September 13, 2025

BNB Market Cap Surpasses Union Bank of Switzerland

This surprising suggestion comes as the value of the BNB token reached a record high of $943. This increases its total market capitalization to approximately $131 billion. This surpasses the valuation of UBS, one of the world’s largest private banks.

JUST IN: $BNB overtakes Union Bank of Switzerland, the worlds largest private bank, in market capitalization. pic.twitter.com/2Ho5NSBx9F

— Whale Insider (@WhaleInsider) September 12, 2025

The announcement, made by Zhao on social media platform X on September 13, represents a significant moment in the relationship between traditional banking and cryptocurrency. 

Zhao, commonly known as “CZ” in the crypto community, offered to personally help any bank interested in integrating BNB. This highlights how far the token has come from its origins as primarily a utility token for reducing trading fees on the Binance exchange.

BNB’s remarkable growth reflects broader trends in cryptocurrency adoption, particularly in Asia-Pacific regions, where on-chain activity has increased by 69% compared to last year. 

The token has evolved into a multi-purpose asset used for trading fees, decentralized finance applications, and blockchain infrastructure across the Binance ecosystem. Over 30 publicly traded companies in Hong Kong alone have added BNB to their corporate treasuries, taking advantage of new regulatory frameworks that provide clearer guidelines for cryptocurrency holdings.

Crypto’s Adoption in the Banking Sector is Likely to Explode

The push for banking integration comes during a period of significant policy shifts in the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration. Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has implemented several pro-cryptocurrency policies, including an executive order that reversed previous restrictive measures and established a working group focused on digital assets. 

His administration has also created a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and passed the GENIUS Act, which provides the first comprehensive federal framework for stablecoins.

Major financial institutions appear increasingly open to cryptocurrency integration. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan recently described crypto as “just another form of payment” that banks can accommodate under clear regulations. 

This changing attitude shows growing recognition that digital assets are becoming an unavoidable part of the financial landscape.

Financial Experts Warn About Banks’ Adoption of Crypto 

However, not all experts are convinced that blending traditional banking with cryptocurrency is wise. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that high crypto adoption could potentially undermine financial stability by making it more difficult for governments to implement effective monetary policies. 

“Most crypto assets arrived on the financial scene “unbacked” or “poorly-backed” — lacking intrinsic value and suffering from price volatility. Some of them collapsed because of reliance on shaky reserves. Crypto assets were really risky assets; many households have the scars to prove it. They lost real money. Lots of it,” she said.

Other critics point to the 2023 collapse of several crypto-friendly banks as cautionary examples of what can happen when traditional financial institutions become too exposed to volatile digital assets.

Environmental concerns also present significant challenges. The substantial energy requirements of blockchain networks conflict with global sustainability goals, creating tension between technological innovation and environmental responsibility.

For everyday users around the world, especially those in countries with less developed banking systems, the integration of tokens like BNB into traditional finance could potentially expand access to financial services. The ability to conduct fast, low-cost transactions across borders represents one of the most promising aspects of cryptocurrency technology.

As the debate continues, Binance’s BNB stands at the intersection between traditional finance and the crypto revolution. Whether banks will accept CZ’s invitation remains uncertain, but the conversation itself marks another step toward the mainstream acceptance of digital assets.