YZi Labs, formerly known as Binance Labs, has unveiled a $1 billion Builder Fund aimed at supporting developers and founders building within the BNB Chain ecosystem.
Announced on X, the fund combines capital with developer tools, integrations, and access to what YZi calls a 460 million–user ecosystem. It will focus on projects across decentralized finance (DeFi), artificial intelligence (AI), real-world assets (RWA), decentralized science (DeSci), payments, and wallets.
Selected teams can secure up to $500,000 and gain direct collaboration with YZi and BNB Chain core teams, along with mentorship from a global network of experts. The initiative also ties into Season 2 of YZi’s EASY Residency accelerator, which now includes BNB Chain’s Most Valuable Builder track and has expanded its hubs to New York, San Francisco, Dubai, and Singapore.
Background and Market Context
Originally founded as Binance Labs and rebranded in January, YZi Labs is headed by Ella Zhang, with Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao remaining actively involved in its operations. The firm has recently increased its backing for Ethena Labs, the company behind the USDe and USDtb stablecoins, while CZ dismissed rumors suggesting that YZi was opening its portfolio to external investors.
The announcement also comes at a strong moment for BNB, which has hit new record highs and risen to become the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
