First Face-to-Face Meeting After Years of Online Collaboration
Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ in crypto circles, recently posted a photo on social media showing him with Michael Saylor. The picture came after their first in-person meeting at Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai. I think it’s interesting how these two figures, who’ve been aligned online for years, finally got to meet physically.
Saylor was at the event as a keynote speaker, marking his first speaking appearance at a crypto event in the United Arab Emirates. He gave a presentation called “The Undeniable Case for Bitcoin” where he encouraged the audience not to worry about market volatility. He pointed to Bitcoin’s growing institutional adoption and compared its trading power and energy use to major companies like Google and Microsoft.
Background of Their Online Relationship
Their connection goes back to the early 2020s when both became prominent voices during Bitcoin’s price swings. CZ has consistently supported Saylor’s aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy at MicroStrategy. When others questioned buying more during price drops, CZ publicly defended Saylor’s approach.
Their messaging has often overlapped on several key points: Bitcoin’s scarcity, its advantages as a store of value compared to traditional assets like gold, and its potential role in creating a more trustworthy financial system. On social media, they’ve frequently amplified each other’s posts, creating what felt like a mutual support network.
From Online to Real-World Collaboration
This online relationship turned into actual collaboration in 2025 when both were appointed as advisors to Pakistan’s Crypto Council. They worked together to guide the nation’s plans for building a strategic Bitcoin reserve. It’s somewhat surprising, perhaps, that despite this professional collaboration, they hadn’t met in person until now.
Meanwhile, at the same Dubai event, CZ had a heated debate with longtime gold advocate Peter Schiff about Bitcoin. That exchange attracted significant attention on social media platforms. CZ had joked earlier about the possibility of putting Saylor and Schiff in the same room together.
The Significance of Physical Meetings
There’s something about face-to-face meetings that online interactions can’t quite replicate. Even in our digital age, physical presence matters. The photo CZ shared shows two of crypto’s most influential figures finally connecting in person after years of digital alignment.
Both men have been towering figures in the cryptocurrency community for years, each representing different but complementary aspects of the space. Saylor with his corporate Bitcoin accumulation strategy, and CZ with his exchange platform that serves millions of users globally.
Their meeting comes at a time when institutional interest in Bitcoin continues to grow, and regulatory landscapes are evolving. The timing feels appropriate, though I’m not sure if that was planned or just coincidental.
What’s clear is that relationships built online can develop depth when people finally meet in person. This meeting might lead to more direct collaboration between their respective organizations, or perhaps it simply solidifies an existing partnership. Only time will tell what comes next for these two crypto leaders now that they’ve moved beyond digital communication to actual face-to-face interaction.
