March 11 Update: Binance has officially confirmed that it has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal following the newspaper's report that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Iran is using Binance to evade U.S. sanctions. Binance stated that it has not received any formal information regarding such an investigation by the Department of Justice and reiterated its commitment to cooperating with regulatory agencies and law enforcement.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it is currently unclear whether the investigation targets the Binance platform itself, its users, or both. The report indicated that relevant officials have contacted several individuals familiar with the transactions to gather evidence and testimonies. In response, Binance stated that its internal investigation has uncovered a complex pattern of financial activities spanning Asia, the Middle East, and other regions, involving multiple jurisdictions. However, it emphasized that these actions are violations at the user level and not authorized or condoned by the platform.
It is noteworthy that Binance admitted in 2023 to violating U.S. anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations, for which it paid a $4.3 billion fine and agreed to ongoing oversight by U.S. regulators. This lawsuit is seen as an important step for Binance in strengthening its compliance image and clarifying public misunderstandings, aiming to restore trust within the regulatory framework.
