Nina Rong of BNB Chain on building for developers and global growth

As crypto’s next growth phase prioritizes builders, users, and global reach, BNB Chain is doubling down on ecosystem-first expansion under the leadership of Nina Rong.

The focus in crypto is shifting toward strong developer support, real user demand, and sustainable global expansion. Networks are no longer judged only by technology, but by how well they help builders launch, scale, and find users across regions. To explore this idea further, we spoke with Nina Rong, Executive Director of Growth at BNB Chain at the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai. Here’s what Nina feels about how these priorities are shaping BNB Chain’s strategy.

Q: First of all, congratulations on your new role at BNB Chain. To start off, tell us what excited you most about stepping into the position of Executive Director of Growth?

Nina: This is a very exciting opportunity. I think BNB Chain has a lot of potential. It’s one of the most promising ecosystems to onboard the next billion web3 users. In my keynote yesterday, I talked about how BNB Chain has a great engineering team. I’m an engineer myself, so I’m always fascinated by tech innovation. BNB Chain is the most battle-tested network in crypto and has significantly improved its performance in the last five years. We reduced gas fees by 300x and increased throughput by 40x. The team is extremely talented, and the ecosystem has strong relationships with institutional players. We also have a huge community loved by both retailers and developers. Many blockchains launched in the past year didn’t last, people talked about them one day and forgot them the next, with nothing deployed on them. BNB Chain has been around for 5–6 years and recently passed 700 million unique wallets. The market clearly has strong trust and adoption. So I feel I have a lot of resources and cards I can play within the ecosystem, that’s the most exciting part for me.

Q: You previously led partnerships at the Arbitrum Foundation and worked with Offchain Labs. How have those experiences shaped your approach to ecosystem growth? And how has your engineering background influenced your perspective?

Nina: Arbitrum was a very significant milestone in my career. I developed a deep relationship with the community, especially developers. I learned the importance of a win-win mindset, an ecosystem should empower everyone: developers, infrastructure providers, retailers. Everyone should benefit from the platform. That mindset guides my career and personal philosophy. As an engineer, communication is very important to me. I spent four to five years studying complex chemical engineering concepts, which taught me how to translate technical jargon into something retail users can understand. I think retail users should appreciate the technology more. Yesterday in my keynote, I gave a big shout-out to our tech team, they’re the giants behind the scenes. Tech appreciation is essential because that’s what keeps the industry moving forward. Those two pieces, win-win thinking and clear technical communication, have shaped my career.

Q: It was mentioned in a recent PR that you will oversee BNB Chain’s growth strategy across three core pillars, including developer relations. How does BNB Chain plan to expand its developer programs?

Nina: BNB Chain has always been supportive of developers. We run multiple hackathons each year, both online and offline, and always bring in top mentors and founders to share their experiences. This year, we’re launching a new program called BNB Trenches, which helps hackers take their hackathon ideas and turn them into something ready for market. It bridges the gap between hackathons and incubators, because often, post-hackathon teams aren’t quite ready for incubation yet. We also have YZi Labs, with $1 billion available to support the ecosystem. Across the developer journey, we want no gaps, everyone should have the resources they need to succeed. It’s also important for builders to have exposure to BNB Chain’s large retail user base. I want retail users to discover projects early, during the concept phase or private beta, not only once tokens launch. Connecting developers and retail users throughout the journey is key.

Q: BNB Chain is entering what many call a new chapter of global expansion. What does global growth look like going into 2026?

Nina: We now have community managers in Korea and India, and we recently hired someone in Argentina. It’s important that each region has a local contact who understands the culture and community. For example, Argentina has a very developer-focused community, while Korea is more trader-focused. We want representatives who understand and reflect their local markets.

Q: How do you see crypto expanding across Asia? And what trends and opportunities are you most excited about in the region?

Nina: In Asia, if you look at web2 history, Asian tech companies excel at taking a concept from the early stage to mass adoption. We’ll be working closely with Asian entrepreneurs to distribute crypto to mass audiences. That’s our general approach. There are incredibly talented traders in Korea, Greater China, and Singapore. BNB Chain has a huge user base in Asia. But we’re also expanding to North America, South America, and Europe this year. Asia is our home base, but we’re going beyond it.

Q: On the flip side, what trends are you least excited about? Some people say they’re not excited about AI in crypto.

Nina: As an ecosystem builder, I think it’s important not to close any doors too early. We don’t know where any trend will go. When people say “AI,” they might be imagining completely different things. I’ll never reject a concept prematurely. Instead, I monitor each concept closely and look at traction. Crypto moves fast, what people discuss today will be different tomorrow. Fortunately, our team performs very well under pressure and at a fast pace. We’ve always been able to pick up new trends and position ourselves to launch alongside them.

Q: Your new role focuses heavily on attracting builders and talent. What qualities define the next generation of web3 builders?

Nina: I’ve talked about this on my personal Twitter. It’s almost a blessing that universities don’t issue many web3 diplomas. It means people in the industry got here through self-effort: reading Twitter threads, joining Discords, talking to people at conferences. Self-learning and self-motivation are the most important traits because there’s no playbook. You can’t go to university for four years, get a web3 diploma, and join a corporate company in crypto today. At BNB Chain, we call this the founder spirit, operating your career as if you’re the founder of it. Take ownership. Go beyond what you’re assigned. Proactiveness is essential.

Q: This year has been turbulent for many crypto ecosystems, with many coins crashing. How do you see the broader market evolving into 2026?

Nina: The market will do what it does. Nobody can predict it. I can’t either. As long-term ecosystem builders, we don’t try to predict. Instead, we stay ready. We have plans for good markets, and we have plans for bad markets.The market is volatile, so you just have to be prepared for what’s coming.

Q: As a woman at the highest level of web3, what has your journey been like in an industry that’s still male-dominated?

Nina: I actually ran a community in Beijing called Ladies Who Tech, so I’ve always advocated for more women in tech. Now in crypto, I continue that journey. I was fortunate that my first project was Arbitrum, which became the largest L2. Then I worked with VeChain, another amazing ecosystem and team. As a woman leader, I always advocate for gender diversity and for women to proactively grab opportunities. But I also don’t want women to feel defeated because the industry is male-dominated, even though it’s true. Unless there’s something you personally can change, don’t let it affect your success. Performance and action are how we change the industry together, not emotional frustration, but practical impact.

Q: Finally, on a personal note, what motivates you as a leader, and what impact do you hope to create during your time at BNB?

Nina: I’m motivated by seeing the ecosystem work together like an orchestra. Ecosystem builders have a unique holistic view, we interact with developers, infrastructure providers, retail users, and institutional players. I feel fulfilled when all these players come together to build something great on BNB Chain. That aligns with my win-win mentality, empowering everyone in the ecosystem to have the resources they need. This also applies to our internal team. I want them to grow, to achieve things beyond what they imagine today. Empowerment is very important to my success.