YZi Labs, previously known as Binance Labs, backed by Changpeng Zhao announced the launch of the $1 billion Builder Fund, which will support founders and developers building projects in the BNB Chain ecosystem.
This initiative aims to recruit long-term builders to develop game-changing solutions in areas like trading, AI, DeFi, payments, and other blockchain uses. This fund serves as another milestone in YZi Labs’ dedication to building and growing the BNB ecosystem.
A new push for BNB-based innovation
In its announcement, YZi Labs said the fund would “deepen its commitment to founders in the BNB ecosystem, especially on BNB Chain, inviting more long-term founders to focus on BNB-based innovations.”
The company emphasised that BNB Chain’s high performance, low cost, and growing user base make it a strong foundation for global Web3 development.
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“Through targeted incubation, strategic investments, and partnerships, YZi Labs empowers founders to transform these principles into impactful realities,” the statement added.
The company said the fund will back builders in areas such as DeFi, AI, RWA, payments, and digital wallets, while offering access to enhanced tools, integrations, and a 460,000,000+ user network.
Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs, called the initiative a milestone for builders and quoted “BNB Ecosystem represents the next phase of digital infrastructure, where decentralisation and on-chain scalability converge with security and real distribution.”
“Through this $1B BNB Builder Fund, YZi Labs is committed to supporting builders across sectors such as DeFi, AI, RWA, and DeSci — those creating the next generation of open systems that connect technology back to human progress.”
BNB Chain milestones and growth
BNB Chain achieved over 26 million daily transactions and is first in decentralised exchange trading volume and active users. On October 7, we reported, BNB, the network’s native cryptocurrency, rose to over $1330, making it the 3rd largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation.
The Maxell Hardfork in May made further improvements in performance by reducing block time to 0.75 seconds and transaction fees to 0.05 Gwei.
These upgrades are the most significant in the recent past, and it has strengthened the BNB Chain’s status in ecosystems as the most developed and complex in the market.
The BNB Digital Asset Treasury by BNC and the BNB Yield fund by Hash Global, along with the RWA fund by China Renaissance, are innovations to enhance institutional participation for the company.
Global events organised by YZi Labs in traditional finance and Web3 integration are to further the reach of BNB Chain and the cultivation of aggressive partnerships. These events have been organised in both Seoul and Singapore, and with the integration of family offices.
Addressing recent reports
Earlier, UnoCrypto reported that Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, pushed back against a Financial Times article that claimed YZi Labs was seeking external funding.
In a post on X, CZ said the story was “false” and based on social media speculation rather than verified information. “YZi Labs is not seeking outside funding,” he wrote.
The new $1B Builder Fund positions YZi Labs as a key force driving growth across the BNB ecosystem. With stronger developer backing, improved network performance, and new global partnerships, the initiative signals that the company is ready to shape the next wave of Web3 innovation.