Meanwhile, the array of settlements did not include the chargers brought by the US securities regulator against Binance and Zhao. This means the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will continue to fight the exchange and its former CEO in court unless a separate settlement is reached.
In a blog post, Binance officially stated: “While Binance is not perfect, it has strived to protect users since its early days as a small startup and has made tremendous efforts to invest in security and compliance… Binance grew at an extremely fast pace globally, in a new and evolving industry that was in the early stages of regulation, and Binance made misguided decisions along the way.”
Since the founding of Coinbase back in 2012 we have taken a long-term view. I knew we needed to embrace compliance to become a generational company that stood the test of time. We got the licenses, hired the compliance and legal teams, and made it clear our brand was about trust…
— Brian Armstrong 🛡️ (@brian_armstrong) November 21, 2023
Binance’s Response
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Profit over Compliance
With all this commotion, Richard Teng, the former Head of Regional Markets of Binance, has been named the new CEO of the crypto exchange giant, replacing Zhao.
Since the founding of Coinbase back in 2012 we have taken a long-term view. I knew we needed to embrace compliance to become a generational company that stood the test of time. We got the licenses, hired the compliance and legal teams, and made it clear our brand was about trust…
— Brian Armstrong 🛡️ (@brian_armstrong) November 21, 2023
Binance’s Response
Attorney General Merrick Garland also commented in the same lines, saying: “From the very beginning, Zhao and other Binance executives engaged in a deliberate and calculated effort to profit from the US market without implementing the controls required by US law.”
“Binance turned a blind eye to its legal obligations in the pursuit of profit. Its willful failures allowed money to flow to terrorists, cybercriminals, and child abusers through its platform,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
Keep Reading
Profit over Compliance
Officially confirmed yesterday (Tuesday), $3.8 billion from the settlement with the DoJ will go to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), while the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) will receive $968 million.
The DoJ unsealed the charges against Binance yesterday, and the exchange simultaneously pled guilty to violating US anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions laws. Zhao also pled guilty to violating anti-money laundering rules and agreed to step down.
منبع: https://www.financemagnates.com//cryptocurrency/binance-will-exit-the-us-paying-over-76-billion-in-settlements/
Both Binance and Zhao highlighted that the exchange’s guilty plea with the US agencies did not include the allegations of user fund misappropriation and market manipulation. Interestingly, the ongoing SEC lawsuit charges Binance for comingling user funds with its own.
Both Binance and Zhao highlighted that the exchange’s guilty plea with the US agencies did not include the allegations of user fund misappropriation and market manipulation. Interestingly, the ongoing SEC lawsuit charges Binance for comingling user funds with its own.
Law enforcement and national security officials need additional authorities and resources to pursue money laundering, sanctions evasion, & criminal activity facilitated through crypto. I’ll keep working to pass bipartisan legislation to address this serious and dangerous problem.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 21, 2023
In a Tweet following the announcement of the settlements, Zhao admitted that he “made mistakes, and I must take responsibility.”
Law enforcement and national security officials need additional authorities and resources to pursue money laundering, sanctions evasion, & criminal activity facilitated through crypto. I’ll keep working to pass bipartisan legislation to address this serious and dangerous problem.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 21, 2023
Attorney General Merrick Garland also commented in the same lines, saying: “From the very beginning, Zhao and other Binance executives engaged in a deliberate and calculated effort to profit from the US market without implementing the controls required by US law.”
In its separate settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Binance Holdings will return $1.35 billion in “ill-gotten funds” and another $1.35 billion in civil penalty. Further, Binance’s now-former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, agreed to pay a $150 million civil monetary penalty to the agency, while the exchange’s former Chief Compliance Officer, Samuel Lim, will pay another $1.5 million.
Binance has agreed to enter into a historic corporate settlement by paying over $4.3 billion to settle charges brought by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). The crypto exchange will also pay an additional $2.85 billion to settle with the US commodities regulator.
