U.S. federal prosecutors are investigating cryptocurrency exchange Binance over possible violations of U.S. sanctions related to Iran and whether certain trading activity on its platform violated those rules, multiple outlets report. The investigation, first described by Bloomberg and echoed by other publications, centers on whether Binance “knowingly” permitted trades that would be prohibited under the sanctions regime.
Reporting says the probe is led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, with involvement from the Justice Department’s criminal division in Washington. Prosecutors and the relevant U.S. offices declined to comment. Binance, in a statement cited by outlets, says it applies a “zero-tolerance” approach to sanctions violations and that it cooperates with law enforcement.
The story also places the probe in the context of Binance’s prior U.S. regulatory history. In 2023, Binance’s then-chief Changpeng Zhao stepped down and pleaded guilty to breaking U.S. anti-money laundering laws, resolving a $4.3 billion settlement. Some coverage frames the current inquiry as an additional look at Binance’s Iran-related compliance after earlier fixes, while others emphasize the sanctions enforcement backdrop, including recent U.S. sanctions targeting entities and individuals linked to Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies.
