The U.S. Justice Division is investigating whether or not Iranian
networks used cryptocurrency change Binance to maneuver funds and evade American
sanctions, in keeping with a report by The Wall Road Journal.
The probe focuses on greater than $1 billion in crypto
transfers that allegedly handed by way of the platform to entities linked to
Iran-backed teams, together with Yemen’s Houthi militants.
The investigation follows studies that Binance wound down an
inside evaluate that had recognized round $1.7 billion in flows from primarily
Chinese language purchasers to digital wallets related to Iranian proxies.
Unique: The Justice Division is investigating Iran’s use of Binance to evade U.S. sanctions https://t.co/Qqw2h2cQuP
— The Wall Road Journal (@WSJ) March 11, 2026
Inquiry Examines Iran-Linked Crypto Flows
This contains over $1 billion allegedly routed through Hong
Kong-based funds agency Blessed Belief. The Wall Road Journal stated officers
have contacted people with information of the transactions however added it’s
unclear whether or not authorities are scrutinizing Binance itself, its customers, or
each.
Binance has filed a defamation lawsuit in opposition to Dow Jones,
the writer of The Wall Road Journal, on the identical day the newspaper
reported that the U.S. Justice Division is probing whether or not Iranian networks
used the change to maneuver funds in breach of U.S. sanctions.
We now have filed a grievance in opposition to the @WSJ for publishing a false and defamatory report, and to shine the sunshine of reality. We view this swimsuit as a needed step to defend ourselves in opposition to misinformation, maintain the WSJ accountable for prioritizing clicks over journalistic… pic.twitter.com/c4BPAi95Kh
— Binance (@binance) March 11, 2026
The lawsuit, filed within the Southern District of New York,
claims the WSJ falsely said that Binance fired workers who raised compliance
issues and mishandled Iran-linked transactions, and argues these workers
left over alleged inside information safety violations as a substitute of retaliation.
Binance, which pleaded responsible in 2023 to U.S.
anti-money-laundering and sanctions violations and agreed to a $4.3 billion
settlement and compliance monitoring, stated it didn’t immediately transact with
sanctioned entities and labored with regulation enforcement to dismantle the community.
Binance Cites Cooperation with Legislation Enforcement
The change stated its investigation confirmed solely about $24
million finally entered wallets tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps and that accounts linked to the middleman community have been closed.
A separate Senate inquiry led by Senator Richard Blumenthal
can be in search of data on Binance’s dealing with of the Iranian-related exercise,
citing the Journal’s reporting.
In the meantime, Binance.US has moved to refresh its govt
ranks, appointing Stephen Gregory as CEO whereas Norman Reed shifts into an
advisory function. Gregory, who took over on March 9, 2026, beforehand led
Forex.com’s U.S. enterprise by way of its 2025 acquisition and has held senior
compliance roles at Gemini and CEX.io, giving him an extended monitor report in
regulated digital-asset operations.
Meet our new CEO: Stephen Gregory (@Stevie_Satoshi)He is a compliance knowledgeable, builder, and seasoned dealer. Now, he is main @BinanceUS into our subsequent chapter as we construct the most effective crypto change for Individuals. https://t.co/pmlWrU09YO
— Binance.US 🇺🇸 (@BinanceUS) March 11, 2026
The change is positioning the management change because the
subsequent step in its U.S. development technique after a interval of regulatory stress
that has included enforcement actions and tighter scrutiny of its enterprise
mannequin. Gregory’s appointment comes as Binance.US tries to maneuver previous these
challenges
This text was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.