By now, everyone knows Broccoli, the dog that became part of Binance culture — the symbol of loyalty, energy, and the meme that never died.
But what most people don’t know is that before Broccoli, there was another dog — Max (麦克斯).
Max wasn’t just any dog. He was a gift from one of CZ’s closest friends, given to him in late 2018, after Binance had already become a household name in crypto.
At the time, CZ had been working nonstop — flying between Malta, Singapore, and Dubai, running Binance across continents.
His friend reportedly told him, half-jokingly,
“你需要一个不在乎价格的人。”
“You need someone who doesn’t care about the price.”
That’s when Max entered his life.
A small golden retriever, calm and loyal. CZ would bring him to the office sometimes, and the team quickly fell in love with him. Employees said Max had this odd habit — whenever someone mentioned “bear market,” he would tilt his head and walk over to CZ, almost sensing his mood.
In early 2020, during one of Binance’s most difficult months — when regulations were tightening and the markets were shaky — Max became CZ’s quiet constant.
He would sit beside his desk during long late-night calls, resting his head near the chair. CZ once said,
“他看起来比交易员更懂市场。”
“He seems to understand the market better than most traders.”
But tragedy struck soon after.
In the spring of 2021, just months before Broccoli became known to the Binance community, Max passed away unexpectedly. CZ didn’t make any public announcement. No tweet. No post. Nothing.
However, a few team members noticed subtle changes. For weeks, CZ wore a small gold pin with a pawprint on his jacket. During meetings, he would sometimes pause when someone mentioned “old times,” and just smile faintly.
One Binance engineer later shared privately:
“他那段时间几乎不说话，只说一句话——狗走了，但忠诚不灭。”
“He barely spoke that week. He only said one thing — ‘The dog is gone, but loyalty never dies.’”
And that’s where the story fades.
No one really knows where Max was buried, or what happened afterward. But those who were around say Broccoli came after, and that maybe — just maybe — CZ named him in Max’s memory.
Some believe Max was the quiet beginning of the Binance pet lore — a small, unseen story of loyalty that shaped the human behind the empire.
Because in the end, markets rise and fall, but certain bonds outlast even the blockchain.
因为忠诚，比牛市更长久。
(Because loyalty lasts longer than any bull run.)
