Crypto billionaires are using their resources to fund a new type of paradigm in science, specifically focusing on biotech. Major players in the crypto industry are working on a new way to fund biotech and science. On Tuesday, June 1, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao revealed he personally donated $10 million in BNB (BNB) to Ethereum (ETH) founder Vitalik Buterin’s open-source biotech initiatives. Their goal, according to Buterin, is to apply blockchain’s principles to the most impactful fields in science. 🙏 Moved by this post👇. Just doing my little part. The best way to attract mission-driven talent is having conviction yourself. Likeminded people naturally come together. On top of YZiLabs investments, I personally donated $10m (in BNB) to Vitalik a couple of months back to… https://t.co/vGNdneoci7 — CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) July 1, 2025 This donation, which happened a few months ago, is on top of the investments that his family office, YZi Labs, made in similar initiatives in biotech. The tech billionaire, with a net worth of about $65 billion, called it doing his little part to help advance biotech and was likely inspired by Buterin. You might also like: Vitalik Buterin warns of AI risks while highlighting new opportunities Buterin’s vision for decentralized biotech Currently, important fields of science, especially biotech, are mostly in the hands of giant corporations. These develop treatments with a profit motive in mind, which can lead to negative outcomes for potential users. In Buterin’s view, there is a way to fix this, using decentralization. According to the Ethereum founder, blockchain principles, such as transparency, open source development, and privacy, are key to making scientific progress work for everyone. In a 2023 blog post , he explained several ways that “decentralized science” can benefit people in fields like biotech. You might also like: Exclusive: Vitalik Buterin’s take on the ‘AI versus humans’ debate For instance, zero-knowledge proofs can be used to protect public health from epidemics while also protecting user privacy. At the same time, independent researchers can develop tools like open-source vaccine protocols and pocket air testers quickly, saving lives in a future pandemic. What is more, he explained that crypto has a unique way to fund public goods, thanks to its focus on community. To that end, Buterin himself donated millions to his biotech fund, mostly with crypto he made from memecoins. Read more: Ethereum’s Buterin dumps 10b MOODENG tokens, donates $640k to his charity fund
