Within hours of the report, Changpeng Zhao reframed the exposé as unexpected promotion, posting that The New York Times was giving his book “free advertising.” He claimed the outlet accessed an early draft without permission, while his legal team argued portions referenced material not present in the final manuscript. Zhao also confirmed the English title may still change, while the Chinese edition is tentatively titled 《币安人生》, with proceeds pledged to charity.

The online reaction quickly turned the leak into a marketing event. A memecoin named “Freedom of Money” briefly surged to an $8.3 million market cap, with blockchain analysts flagging early wallet accumulations before the article’s release. Zhao had previously distanced himself from any related tokens, emphasizing no affiliation. As publication approaches, what began as a critical leak has transformed into one of crypto’s most talked-about book launches of the year.