Lawmakers urge US regulators to review Binance’s AML and sanctions controls after reports of Iran-linked transactions and potential evasion risks. A group of 11 US senators has asked federal authorities to investigate whether crypto exchange Binance is complying with US sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements, citing recent reports. In a letter on Friday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the lawmakers urged a “prompt, comprehensive review” of the exchange’s compliance controls and its adherence to settlement agreements reached in 2023. The senators pointed to allegations that approximately $1.7 billion in digital assets flowed through Binance to Iranian entities linked to terrorism, including groups connected to the Houthis and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Investigators also reportedly identified more than 1,500 accounts accessed by users in Iran and potential activity connected to Russian sanctions evasion. Read more
The ruling keeps pre‑2019 investor claims in open court and rejects Binance’s bid to send the dispute to private arbitration in Singapore. A United States federal judge ruled that Binance cannot force a group of US customers to arbitrate claims over losses on crypto tokens they bought on its global platform before Feb. 20, 2019, keeping a major class action in open court. The decision on Thursday by District Judge Andrew Carter Jr. in the Southern District of New York held that those claims were not bound by Binance.com’s 2019 arbitration clause because users lacked sufficient notice when the company unilaterally shifted its terms of use away from the 2017 version, which contained no arbitration or class action waiver provisions. According to the judge, Binance relied on a general change‑of‑terms clause and the posting of updated 2019 terms on its website, and there was no evidence that the exchange provided any individual notice or formally “announced” the new arbitration provision to users. Read more
Binance rejected the allegations, saying it flags suspicious activity, enforces strict compliance procedures and does not permit Iranian users on the platform. A senior US lawmaker launched a congressional inquiry into crypto exchange Binance following reports that the platform processed about $1.7 billion in transactions tied to sanctioned Iranian entities and Russia’s oil “shadow fleet.” On Tuesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal, ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Binance CEO Richard Teng requesting documents and internal records related to the exchange’s sanctions controls and compliance practices. Citing reporting from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Fortune, Blumenthal said Binance compliance staff had identified two partner entities, including Hexa Whale and Blessed Trust, as intermediaries enabling trade with Iranian government-linked organizations. Internal investigators also reportedly traced transfers to wallets associated with Iran’s Isl...
Two major news outlets published similar reports on Monday claiming that Binance had fired or suspended employees involved in an investigation into crypto going to Iranian entities. Binance CEO Richard Teng took to social media on Tuesday to attack what he called “inaccurate reporting” by the Wall Street Journal regarding investigators at the crypto exchange uncovering $1.7 billion in digital assets moving to Iranian entities. In a Tuesday X post, Teng said the report, published on Monday, contained “defamatory claims,” including a letter from Binance’s legal team “demanding immediate corrections and a full retraction of these false statements.” “Your Article is false, seriously misleading to your readers, and defamatory of our client,” said the letter to WSJ editor-in-chief Emma Tucker from lawyers at Withers Bergman. “Our client has written to you directly seeking correction of the major matters of significant concern and we call upon you to act responsibly, and to remove your Article pending this correcti...
Binance listed 10 of Ondo's tokenized stocks, ETFs and commodities on Binance Alpha with UAE regulatory approval, expanding crypto access to real-world assets. Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, is rolling out support for tokenized equities from Ondo Global Markets in its latest push into real-world assets (RWAs). The exchange has listed Ondo’s tokenized stocks, funds and commodities on its Binance Alpha platform, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on Tuesday. The integration features 10 tokenized assets at launch, including AAPLon, NVDAon and QQQon, corresponding to Apple, Nvidia and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF, with additional assets planned for the future. Read more
New Bitcoin price analysis set out key safety nets for bulls ahead of a potential showdown with Binance traders' aggregate deposit cost basis. Bitcoin (BTC) has four new key support levels to watch as a fresh wave of bearish BTC price action aims to push the market price below $50,000. Key points: Bitcoin’s realized prices remain important milestones as the market forms a long-term floor. Read more
Stablecoin outflows slow to $2 billion as Binance consolidates 65% of CEX liquidity, signaling capital concentration even amid the ongoing crypto bear market. Stablecoin outflows from centralized exchanges have slowed sharply even as CryptoQuant’s indicators continue to flag weak market conditions, a sign that investor capital is consolidating rather than leaving the sector, the market data provider said. Flows on centralized exchanges (CEXs) have stabilized somewhat, with outflows totaling just $2 billion over the past month, CryptoQuant said in a statement to Cointelegraph on Tuesday. By contrast, late 2025 saw $8.4 billion in outflows at the start of the bear market, highlighting the moderation in redemptions, CryptoQuant’s marketing head Nick Pitto told Cointelegraph. Read more
Binance said an internal review with external counsel found no sanctions violations and that it continues to meet its regulatory obligations under monitoring and oversight. Crypto exchange Binance pushed back against a recent report by Fortune, rejecting allegations that it enabled sanctions-violating transactions tied to Iran and fired compliance investigators who raised concerns. Fortune reported Friday that internal investigators at Binance discovered more than $1 billion in transfers linked to Iranian entities moving through the platform between March 2024 and August 2025. The transactions were said to involve Tether’s USDt (USDT) stablecoin on the Tron blockchain. Citing unidentified sources, the report claimed that at least five investigators, several with law-enforcement backgrounds, were later fired after documenting the activity. The outlet also reported that additional senior compliance staff had departed the company in recent months. Read more
French police arrested three suspects after a break-in targeting a Binance France executive, RTL reported. Binance has confirmed a home invasion involving an employee. Update Feb. 13, 1:44 pm UTC: This article has been updated to include a comment from Yi He, the co-founder and chief customer service officer at Binance. Three suspects were arrested in France after a reported break-in targeting the home of a senior figure at Binance’s French unit, with the company confirming to Cointelegraph that one of its employees was the victim of a home invasion. Local outlet RTL, citing anonymous police sources, reported that three hooded individuals carrying weapons attempted to enter an apartment in Val-de-Marne around 7:00 am CET Thursday. Read more
Bitcoin net taker volume flipped positive after a month of "aggressive" selling, but sentiment crashed to its lowest levels in crypto market history. Bitcoin (BTC) market sentiment has begun to recover as exchange traders reconsider selling. Key points: Bitcoin taker flow finally sees positive values after a month of seller dominance. Read more
Binance completed its $1 billion Bitcoin conversion for its emergency user fund as crypto sentiment hit record lows and smart money traders increased short exposure. Binance completed the $1 billion Bitcoin conversion for its emergency fund, committing to holding Bitcoin as its core reserve asset. Binance purchased another $304 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) on Thursday, completing the conversion of $1 billion in Bitcoin for its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) wallet, according to Arkham data. The fund now holds 15,000 Bitcoin, worth over $1 billion, acquired at an average aggregate cost basis of $67,000 per coin, Binance said in a Thursday X post. Read more
Franklin Templeton is letting institutions pledge tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for trading on Binance, while keeping the fund assets in off‑exchange custody. Global investment manager Franklin Templeton announced the launch of an institutional off‑exchange collateral program with Binance that lets clients use tokenized money market fund (MMF) shares to back trading activity while the underlying assets remain in regulated custody. According to a Wednesday news release shared with Cointelegraph, the framework is intended to reduce counterparty risk by reflecting collateral balances inside Binance’s trading environment, rather than moving client assets onto the exchange. Eligible institutions can pledge tokenized MMF shares issued via Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform as collateral for trading on Binance. Read more