Binance Co-CEO Yi He: From Rural China to Crypto Leadership

Yi He is one of the most influential women in cryptocurrency, but her name and face are not as well-known as that of Binance, the company she has helped build.

Born in rural Sichuan Province, China, Yi grew up in a family where higher education was out of reach for most. Her parents borrowed money to fund hers, an exception she made clear.

She encountered Bitcoin in 2013 and found it 'overwhelmingly enlightening'. She quit her job as a TV anchor to enter the blockchain industry, starting with OKCoin, which she co-founded in 2014.

OKCoin's market share grew by 60% during a bear market under Yi's leadership. She later served as Vice President at Yixia Technology before joining Binance in 2017, where she took on marketing and growth roles alongside Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao.

Today, nearly 40% of Binance's employees are women, a figure well above industry norms. Yi has also championed transparency, introducing weekly and monthly reports, and established the SAFU emergency fund for users.