Binance Under Fire (and Responds)
SEC Charges Binance and Founder with Customer Funds Mismanagement and Misrepresentation of Operations
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a complaint against Binance Holdings Limited, BAM Trading Services Inc., and BAM Management US Holdings Inc. (together, “Binance”), the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, as well as Binance’s founder, Changpeng Zhao (“Zhao”), alleging the mismanagement of customer funds and deceitful representation to both regulators and investors. This complaint, filed in federal court on today (June 5, 2023), is the latest by U.S. regulators and prosecutors, ostensibly to introduce stricter oversight and enforce compliance with U.S. laws, but seen by many as an ongoing campaign of regulation by enforcement.
The SEC claims Binance was complicit in moving “billions of dollars” of customer funds, clandestinely transferring them to Merit Peak Limited, a company under Zhao’s control, misled investors about its systems’ adequacy to identify and curb manipulative trading, and failed to implement enough measures to prevent U.S. investors from accessing its unregulated exchange.
The SEC’s complaint come at a time when the exchange is under scrutiny from the Justice Department for potential money-laundering violations and following the loss of its independent auditor, Mazars, after it decided to end its association with cryptocurrency companies late last year.
In the face of regulatory scrutiny and the decline in its relative market share, Binance has onboarded several compliance officials, including a former federal prosecutor leading its compliance operation. Despite these actions, the SEC’s enforcement division director, Gurbir S. Grewal, contends that Binance and Zhao consciously chose to flout the rules, thereby jeopardizing their customers and investors.
The SEC's action comes a month after the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) initiated its own civil enforcement action against Binance and Zhao. The CFTC seeks to exclude Mr. Zhao from any business within its jurisdiction indefinitely and aims to permanently expel Binance from the United States.
The action against Binance and Zhao follows months after criminal charges were filed against Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX, a significant Binance competitor. FTX filed for bankruptcy in November after a significant collapse.
Binance representatives have yet to comment on the matter as of the publication of this post. (Update: See Binance Responce Below)
Update: Binance Responds
While we take the SEC’s allegations seriously, they should not be the subject of an SEC enforcement action, let alone on an emergency basis. We intend to defend our platform vigorously. Unfortunately, the SEC’s refusal to productively engage with us is just another example of the Commission’s misguided and conscious refusal to provide much-needed clarity and guidance to the digital asset industry.
Today’s action is another in a line of examples where, as with other crypto projects facing similar suits, the Commission has determined to regulate with the blunt weapons of enforcement and litigation rather than the thoughtful, nuanced approach demanded by this dynamic and complex technology. Unilaterally labeling certain tokens and services as securities – even ones over which other U.S. authorities have asserted jurisdiction – only compounds these problems.
Perhaps most surprising, the SEC’s actions undermine America’s role as a global hub for financial innovation and leadership. Digital asset laws remain largely undeveloped in much of the world, and regulation by enforcement is not the best path forward. An effective regulatory framework demands collaborative, transparent, and thoughtful policy engagement – a path the SEC has abandoned.
And, to be clear: any allegations that user assets on the Binance.US platform have ever been at risk are simply wrong, and there is zero justification for the Staff’s action in light of the ample time the Staff has had to conduct their investigation. All user assets on Binance and Binance affiliate platforms, including Binance.US, are safe and secure, and we will vigorously defend against any allegations to the contrary. Rather, the SEC’s actions here appear to be in service of an effort to rush to claim jurisdictional ground from other regulators – and investors do not appear to be the SEC’s priority. Because of our size and global name recognition, Binance is an easy target now caught in the middle of a U.S. regulatory tug-of-war.
It seems based on these developments that the SEC’s goal here was never to protect investors; if that were truly the case, the Staff would have thoughtfully engaged with us on the facts and in our efforts to demonstrate the safety and security of the Binance.US platform. The SEC’s real intent here, instead, appears to be to make headlines.
We will continue to cooperate with regulators and policymakers in the U.S. and across the globe because that is the right thing to do. And Binance remains committed to productive engagement to ensure the next generation of cryptocurrency regulation fosters innovation while implementing and ensuring important consumer protections. Because Binance is not a U.S. exchange, the SEC’s actions are limited in reach. Still, we stand with digital asset market participants in the U.S. in opposition to the SEC’s latest overreach, and we are prepared to fight it to the full extent of the law.
We will work alongside industry partners to defend this important technology from misguided lawsuits. And we will maintain our unceasing efforts to deliver a safe and trusted platform for our users that holds true to our core value of furthering the freedom of money.
Binance Blog Post (June 5, 2023)
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