Jack Paul 
First In-Person Meeting After Years of Online Alignment
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 face-to-face meeting at Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai.
It’s interesting to think about how these two figures have interacted for years online but never actually met in person until now. They’ve been aligned on many Bitcoin-related topics since the early 2020s, with CZ frequently supporting Saylor’s aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy at MicroStrategy.
When others questioned buying more Bitcoin during price drops, CZ would publicly defend the approach. Their messaging often overlapped on Bitcoin’s scarcity, its advantages over traditional assets like gold, and its potential role in building what they see as a more trustworthy financial system.
Saylor’s First UAE Crypto Speaking Appearance
The meeting happened shortly after Saylor delivered a keynote presentation at the event. This marked his first-ever speaking appearance at a crypto conference in the United Arab Emirates.
His presentation was titled “The Undeniable Case for Bitcoin.” During the talk, he encouraged the audience not to fear market volatility, pointing instead to Bitcoin’s growing institutional adoption worldwide. He made comparisons between Bitcoin’s trading power and energy consumption relative to major tech companies like Google and Microsoft, and even the US Navy.
Saylor also discussed MicroStrategy’s ongoing Bitcoin strategy during his presentation. Following the keynote, he participated in a live community question-and-answer session.
From Online Collaboration to Real-World Meeting
The two have amplified each other’s social media posts for years, but their collaboration became more formal in 2025 when both were appointed as advisors to Pakistan’s Crypto Council. They worked together to guide the nation’s plans for establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve.
It’s somewhat surprising that they hadn’t met before, given their shared interests and collaborative work. Perhaps the timing just never worked out, or maybe the pandemic years made international travel more complicated.
CZ had hinted at the possibility of meeting Saylor in Dubai in a previous social media post, joking about putting him in the same room with longtime gold advocate Peter Schiff. Interestingly, CZ and Schiff recently had a heated debate about Bitcoin that attracted significant attention online.
A Symbolic Moment for Crypto Community
The photo of their meeting represents more than just two industry figures shaking hands. It symbolizes the convergence of different approaches within the crypto space—Saylor’s relentless focus on Bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset and CZ’s broader perspective from running one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges.
Both have been through multiple market cycles, regulatory challenges, and public scrutiny. Their meeting in Dubai, a growing hub for crypto innovation, feels like a milestone moment for the community.
I think what’s notable here isn’t just that they met, but where and when. Dubai has been positioning itself as a crypto-friendly jurisdiction, and having these two prominent figures connect there adds to the city’s growing reputation in the space.
The meeting was brief, from what I can gather—just a photo opportunity after Saylor’s presentation. But sometimes these brief encounters can be meaningful, especially after years of digital interaction. It’s one of those moments that makes you realize how much the industry has matured, even as it continues to evolve rapidly.