Binance vs Deribit: Founders, CEOs and History
Binance was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Yi He and is led by Richard Teng. Deribit was founded in 2016 by John Jansen, Marius Jansen and is led by Luuk Strijers.
Company facts
Founders
Binance
Changpeng Zhao (CZ)
Changpeng Zhao founded Binance in 2017 after a BNB token sale that raised about $15 million.
Yi He
Yi He co-founded Binance with Changpeng Zhao in 2017 and became co-CEO alongside Richard Teng on December 3, 2025.
Deribit
John Jansen
John Jansen is a Dutch former options trader who co-founded Deribit with his brother Marius and launched it in June 2016.
Marius Jansen
Marius Jansen co-founded Deribit with his brother John. The brothers come from Stadskanaal in the Netherlands and built the exchange without large venture funding before selling it to Coinbase in 2025.
CEOs and their tenures
Binance
- Changpeng Zhao2017–2023
Founder & CEO
Zhao studied computer science at McGill University and built trading systems for the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Bloomberg Tradebook before crypto. He served four months in a US prison in 2024 and was pardoned on October 23, 2025.
Source - Richard Teng2023–present
CEO (Co-CEO since December 2025)
Teng spent three decades in financial regulation, including as CEO of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority at Abu Dhabi Global Market, chief regulatory officer of Singapore Exchange and a director at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Source - Yi He2025–present
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Before Binance she was a television host and a vice president at OKCoin, where she hired Changpeng Zhao as CTO in 2014.
Source
Deribit
- John Jansen2016–2024
Co-founder & CEO
Jansen brought classical European derivatives market-making expertise to crypto, establishing the foundational infrastructure for institutional volatility trading.
Source - Luuk Strijers2024–present
CEO
Took Deribit from an offshore exchange to a VARA-licensed Coinbase subsidiary.
Source
Timeline: Binance and Deribit side by side
2013Binance
Changpeng Zhao is introduced to Bitcoin in Shanghai and joins Blockchain.info's early team.
2014Binance
CZ sells his Shanghai apartment to buy Bitcoin and becomes CTO of OKCoin, hired by Yi He.
2016Deribit
June: Deribit, founded by John and Marius Jansen, launches Bitcoin futures and options trading.
2017Binance
Binance raises about $15 million in a BNB token sale and launches on July 14; China's September ban pushes it offshore.
2017Deribit
The crypto bull market brings the first wave of professional options traders to Deribit.
2018Binance
Binance becomes the largest crypto exchange by volume in January and acquires Trust Wallet in July.
2019Binance
Hackers steal 7,000 BTC in May, covered by the SAFU fund; Binance Futures and the separate Binance.US launch in September.
2019Deribit
Ether options launch; Luuk Strijers joins as chief commercial officer.
2020Binance
Binance buys CoinMarketCap for a reported $400 million and launches Binance Smart Chain, now BNB Chain.
2020Deribit
Operating entity moves from the Netherlands to Panama.
2021Binance
Binance handles about $7.7 trillion of trading as BNB passes $600; the UK FCA orders it to halt regulated activity.
2022Binance
Binance walks away from rescuing FTX, publishes Merkle-tree proof of reserves and buys Japan's Sakura Exchange BitCoin.
2023Binance
Binance pleads guilty in the US and agrees to pay about $4.3 billion; CZ steps down and Richard Teng becomes CEO.
2023Deribit
Total trading volume reaches $608 billion.
2024Binance
CZ serves a four-month US prison sentence; Binance ends the year with about 250 million registered users.
2024Deribit
April: first derivatives exchange to win VARA approval; headquarters moves to Dubai and Luuk Strijers becomes CEO. Annual volume hits $1.185 trillion.
2025Binance
MGX invests $2 billion (March), the SEC drops its case (May), Trump pardons CZ (October) and Yi He becomes co-CEO as users pass 300 million (December).
2025Deribit
January: all activity migrates to Deribit FZE in Dubai. August 14: Coinbase completes its ~$2.9 billion acquisition.
2026Binance
The main platform starts operating under ADGM supervision (January), US stock trading launches (June) and most EU services are suspended after the MiCA deadline (July).
2026Deribit
Deribit gains a VARA broker-dealer licence to route spot orders to Coinbase Exchange, and Coinbase International Exchange begins migrating onto Deribit.
Acquisitions
Binance
- Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC)2022Undisclosed
- CoinMarketCap2020$400M
- Swipe2020Undisclosed
- Trust Wallet2018Undisclosed
Deribit
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Binance vs Deribit
Who is the CEO of Binance and Deribit?
Binance is led by Richard Teng and Deribit is led by Luuk Strijers. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Binance founded vs Deribit?
Deribit was founded in 2016 — 1 year before Binance, which was founded in 2017. Deribit's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Binance.
How many employees does Binance have compared to Deribit?
Binance employs approximately 5,000 people. A verified employee count for Deribit is not currently available.
Where are Binance and Deribit headquartered?
Binance is headquartered in Cayman Islands and Deribit is headquartered in United Arab Emirates. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Binance and Deribit?
Binance was founded by Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Yi He. Deribit was founded by John Jansen, Marius Jansen.
Which company has a longer operating history — Binance or Deribit?
Deribit has been operating for approximately 10 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Binance has been in operation for around 9 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Binance vs Deribit overview