CZ rejected what he described as a misleading suggestion that giving away Binance merchandise amounted to bribery in a report by The New York Times reporter David Yaffe-Bellany. Responding on social media, CZ said the reporter showed clear skepticism toward him and characterized the coverage as biased. He said the merchandise was intended to turn users into walking advertisements for Binance, while also thanking the article despite his criticism. PANews published the report on Oct. 4.