Star Xu Fires Back at CZ Amid Binance's MiCA Rejection and Escalating Public Feud

The long-standing tension between OKX founder Star Xu and Binance's Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has reignited with renewed intensity, following Binance's failure to secure a MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulatory license in Europe. What began as a simmering industry rivalry has now erupted into a full-blown public dispute, drawing significant attention from the crypto community.

When news broke that Binance had been denied a MiCA license in the European Union, Star Xu wasted no time in publicly criticizing the exchange and its founder. His remarks raised pointed questions about Binance's operational integrity and compliance standards, signaling that the feud between the two crypto heavyweights was far from resolved.

In response to Xu's criticism, CZ pushed back during a media interview, suggesting that jealousy was the primary motivation behind Xu's repeated attacks. However, Xu categorically rejected this characterization. In a public post addressing CZ's claims, Xu stated plainly that jealousy played no role in his stance. Instead, he said he felt ashamed of CZ's conduct and business practices, pointing specifically to CZ's well-documented legal troubles, controversial market behavior, and a history of compliance failures as the real basis for his criticism.

The backstory between the two founders runs deeper than recent headlines suggest. Xu took the opportunity to shed light on the origins of their conflict, tracing it back to CZ's earlier involvement with OKCoin — a chapter that Xu described as leaving behind a trail of unresolved grievances.

Adding fuel to the fire, Xu accused CZ of distorting the historical record in his recently published book. According to Xu, CZ referenced him multiple times throughout the book while presenting misleading narratives and factually inaccurate accounts of past events. Xu characterized these portrayals as deliberate misrepresentations that painted a false picture of what actually transpired between them.

Despite the sharpness of his words, Xu struck a somewhat measured tone toward the end of his statement, noting that he had little desire to dredge up old disputes or relitigate events from years past. However, he made it clear that he would be prepared to address the matter openly and publicly should the situation demand it — a subtle warning that this saga may not yet be over.

The crypto industry is watching closely as two of its most prominent figures continue to clash. With Binance's regulatory struggles in Europe adding fresh context to the rivalry, the fallout between Xu and CZ looks set to remain a defining storyline in the crypto space heading into the second half of 2026.