When I first learned that I was selected for the Fortune “Most Powerful Women in Business” list, my first feeling was one of disbelief, and my second feeling was the weight of responsibility.
This recognition bears my name, but it belongs to the Binance team, to Binance’s users, to Satoshi Nakamoto, and to every community member who has turned this industry from an idea into a global phenomenon.
If a native crypto industry entrepreneur had appeared on such a list a few years ago, it would have seemed unusual; but today, it’s more like our industry has taken a step from the edge of finance and technology into the spotlight. This is not my “achievement”; I just saw the wave coming and bravely stood up on the surfboard, clumsily learning to ride the wave. But this recognition represents another step in the blockchain industry’s long journey from a niche geeky player to a mainstream part of everyday life. The road ahead is still long, requiring us to work diligently every day, step by step, to build and refine—this is what we do.
I often refer to myself as the “Chief Customer Officer,” and I really like this title. At Binance, every colleague who enters the management team first does front-line customer service for the first month, and they also rotate back every quarter—I do the same. The logic is simple: what you can’t see sitting in the office, users are watching for you every day.
Last year in Dubai, a young man from Kenya stopped me as the event was ending. Every month, he uses Binance to send his salary back home to his mother. He didn’t ask about blockchain architecture or tokenomics. All he wanted was for me to know how much faster his mother is receiving the money now and how much less money is disappearing along the way. He doesn’t need to be “educated” about what cryptocurrency is; he needs a product that works.
He is not an isolated case. In the past five years, over 34 million people have made remittances through Binance Pay, with a total volume exceeding $87 billion. Calculated at the World Bank’s global average remittance fee of 6.36%, we have saved users over $5 billion—an amount that did not disappear into intermediaries’ hands but returned to family dinner tables, children’s tuition fees, and seed funding for small businesses.
I was born in a small village in Sichuan, a place that is hard to find on the map. When I was young, we would occasionally have power outages, and I needed to use a kerosene lamp to do my homework. Girls in the village who were under 16 would take someone else’s ID card and go work in factories.
When I was 9 years old, my father passed away. My uncle said to my mother, “With so much money spent on the education of a girl, it would be better to save the money for your son’s marriage.” But my mother was exceptionally strong. She worked as a substitute teacher and farmed the land, single-handedly supporting our family and sending me to a normal university.
[BlockBeats]
Binance’s He Yi on Fortune List: Crypto’s Mainstream Acceleration
He Yi’s inclusion in Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women in Business” list represents more than a personal accolade—it signifies a critical juncture in crypto’s evolution from fringe innovation to legitimate financial infrastructure. As a Binance executive who describes herself as “Chief Customer Officer,” He Yi’s recognition underscores the industry’s shift toward user-centric applications and mainstream validation.
Mainstream Acceptance Milestone
This recognition arrives at a pivotal moment when crypto is transitioning from speculative asset to utility-driven technology. The fact that a crypto executive now appears on such a prestigious list indicates that blockchain industry leaders are being evaluated by traditional business metrics—user adoption, real-world impact, and operational excellence—rather than merely as tech curiosities or crypto maximalists.
This follows recent indicators of institutional adoption including spot ETF approvals, traditional financial institutions’ increased crypto exposure, and clearer regulatory frameworks. Together, these developments create a powerful narrative that crypto is maturing beyond its Wild West origins.
Utility Beyond Speculation
He Yi’s account of Binance Pay processing over $87 billion in remittances for 34 million users provides concrete evidence of crypto’s practical impact. The $5+ billion saved in fees—money that would have otherwise flowed to traditional intermediaries—demonstrates how blockchain technology can create tangible economic value for everyday users.
This is particularly significant in emerging markets where remittances represent a crucial financial lifeline. The example of the Kenyan worker sending salary home to his mother illustrates a fundamental truth: crypto succeeds not through technological complexity but through solving real problems with simple, effective solutions.
Strategic Implications for Market Participants
For investors, this development validates several strategic directions:
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User-centric projects will outperform pure speculation: Companies that prioritize solving real user problems—like Binance has with remittances—are better positioned for sustainable growth than those focused solely on token price appreciation.
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Cross-chain utility matters: The success of payment rails like Binance Pay suggests that multi-chain compatibility and real-world interoperability will be critical factors in project valuation.
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Regulatory navigation remains key: Despite this positive recognition, the crypto industry still faces significant regulatory challenges. Projects that proactively engage with regulators while maintaining user value will have a competitive advantage.
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Market sentiment remains narrative-driven: Such mainstream media coverage can influence investor sentiment, potentially creating short-term trading opportunities around related tokens.
Risks and Considerations
While positive for sentiment, investors should maintain perspective:
- Regulatory headwinds persist and could quickly overshadow positive news flow
- Binance specifically continues to face scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions
- Mainstream recognition doesn’t automatically translate to token price appreciation
- The market remains highly volatile and subject to broader macroeconomic factors
Conclusion
He Yi’s Fortune recognition serves as both a milestone and a reminder of crypto’s potential. It validates the industry’s progress toward mainstream acceptance while highlighting the importance of focusing on real-world utility. For experienced investors, this news reinforces the long-term thesis that crypto’s ultimate value lies not in speculation but in its ability to create more efficient, inclusive financial systems.
As He Yi notes, “the road ahead is still long,” but with each step like this, the industry moves closer to fulfilling its promise of transforming global finance.