Binance co-founder calls out company for posting Indian CEO's pic with him: 'How not to use a selfie with me'

Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao warned against using selfies for promotional purposes after 5ireChain shared a picture of him with their CEO.

Indian blockchain company 5ireChain landed itself in trouble with Binance’s co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) when they shared a photo of him along with their CEO Pratik Gauri at a event. In a now-deleted social media post, the company shared a picture of the two men posing for a camera, smiling with their hands behind each other's backs.

5ireChain quickly removed the post after the response and replaced it with a new post, this time adding an explanation. (X/@5ireChain)

It captioned the image with “What’s cooking?” and added a handshake emoji, apparently hinting at a significant behind-the-scenes development between Gauri and Zhao.

However, Zhao was quick to shut down any rumours about a collaboration and clarified that the selfie was merely a chance encounter at an event, adding that the two did not even have a conversation. "This is exactly how NOT to use a selfie with me. Nothing is cooking. Didn't even have a chat. Just a selfie at an event," he wrote in a reply to the post.

Take a look at the post:

5ireChain quickly removed the post after the response and replaced it with a new post, this time adding an explanation. "Note: This post is not intended to imply any collaboration or partnership between our Founder & CEO Pratik Gauri and Changpeng Zhao. It is purely an appreciation post from our founder to recognize CZ's unparalleled contributions to the blockchain and crypto industry. Truly a legend," the new photo caption read.

See the new post here:

In a follow-up message, Zhao cautioned against the misuse of such images for promotional purposes. "You should be alarmed if a person/project uses a selfie with someone else as promotional material. Posting selfies when I meet someone I like/admire is normal. But I would never use that to promote my project, unless with explicit permission," he wrote.