Key Insights: CZ questioned Solana’s understanding of local policies after the Shanghai event suspension. Attendee Olivia reported eight or nine officers and entry delays exceeding one hour.
Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao has questioned Solana’s understanding of local Chinese policies following the suspension of the Shanghai event on Friday, October 16, 2026.
The interruption affected the Solana Foundation’s Accelerate China 2026 gathering. Registered participants reported that they could not enter the venue. CZ responded after an attendee described the scene in a social media account.
At the Shangri-La Hotel, an attendant at the event, Olivia, said eight or nine law enforcement officers stood guard during the Shanghai event. In a post on X, she reported that attendees waited outside for more than an hour without gaining entry.
CZ Reaction Tweet on Shanghai Event | Source: X
Other accounts put the wait at approximately 90 minutes for participants who had arrived at the venue.
During that wait, Olivia described someone asking another attendee about his purpose for coming to the event. She said the person appeared stunned for a brief moment before identifying himself as a blogger hoping to gain traffic.
Her account then turned to the publicity surrounding the gathering and the attention the organizers had attracted.
Regarding that publicity, Olivia described the promotional momentum as excessive and expressed disappointment about the interruption. She discussed the limits of enthusiasm, visibility, and community support in carrying out activities involving the Web3 industry.
She also described accomplishing such work as difficult, despite the passion and energy that participants brought to their projects.
Continuing that reflection, Olivia contrasted Web3’s aim of connecting people worldwide with the barriers she felt the incident exposed. She described the situation as absurd, referring to the gap between that ambition and her experience at the venue.
Meanwhile, organizers told participants that venue logistics required postponing the morning program, according to an event notice reported Friday. Their notice described a delay rather than a cancellation of the Shanghai event.
Organizers had not confirmed a replacement schedule, and Chinese authorities had not publicly explained the reported presence of officers. The Shanghai event marked the opening day of Solana’s planned four-city tour across mainland China.
Responding to the Shanghai event account, CZ expressed disappointment and recalled a comparable disruption less than a year earlier. His reference concerned the Accelerate APAC gathering held in Shenzhen in October of the previous year.
In October 2025, Wu Blockchain reported that local police cleared the Shenzhen venue and stopped subsequent project roadshows. Wu Blockchain, also known as Wu Says, reported that Solana Foundation Chair Lily Liu attended that earlier gathering.
Before the latest criticism, CZ had congratulated Solana for advertising and establishing an office in China. He described the blockchain’s ability to carry out those activities as remarkable in his earlier social media message.
In that earlier post on X, CZ said BNB Chain had not managed to establish the same presence in China.
Beyond that comparison, CZ expressed hope that progress for one industry participant could benefit the rest of the sector. Those comments preceded reports from participants outside the Shanghai venue.
Against that regulatory background, mainland China continues to prohibit cryptocurrency trading services. In February 2026, the People’s Bank of China and seven government departments issued revised guidance on virtual currencies. The document also addressed real-world asset tokenization.
Under that guidance, authorities classify cryptocurrency-related business activities as illegal financial activities. The notice covers services involving virtual currency trading, token issuance, and certain financial products linked to digital assets.
Within trading services, the notice names exchanges between fiat money and virtual currencies, alongside exchanges between different virtual currencies. Authorities also prohibit information intermediaries and pricing services for virtual currency transactions.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities outlined plans earlier this month for a national blockchain infrastructure network.
Additionally, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) said crypto anonymity is an illusion because blockchain records permanently preserve transactions. MSS linked cryptocurrencies to laundering, cyberattacks, and espionage recruitment.
The post Solana Shanghai Event Delay Draws Criticism from Binance Founder CZ appeared first on The Coin Republic.
