A federal court has directed Binance to pay a $2.7B penalty to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), bringing an end to the legal feud between the crypto platform and the regulator.
Under the terms of the settlement, Binance will pay a $1.35B fine and an additional $1.35B worth of transaction fees to the CFTC. Former CEO Changpeng Zhao will have to pay $150M to the regulator, and a third of this sum must be paid within the next thirty days. The court has also ordered Binance’s ex-Chief Compliance Officer Samuel Lim to pay $1.5M for “aiding and abetting Binance’s violations.”
The court order also mandates Binance and CZ to implement strict KYC policies on the platform. Besides updating its compliance controls, the exchange must also implement a new governance structure, including separate compliance and auditing committees.
“The order requires Binance and Zhao to make additional certifications, including that Binance will no longer allow existing sub-accounts, including those opened by prime brokers, to bypass the platform’s compliance controls.”
Since the beginning of 2023, Binance, alongside other crypto platforms, has come under heightened scrutiny by US authorities. Earlier in March, the CFTC filed a lawsuit against Binance and Zhao, accusing the two of violating securities laws and operating an illegal platform.
In November, the US DOJ filed a similar complaint against Binance and Zhao, which resulted in Zhao pleading guilty to the charges and stepping down as the CEO of Binance.
Written by
Ayush Pande
Ayush Pande is a hardware, gaming, and crypto writer based in India. He's a tech enthusiast who's fascinated by the potential of blockchain technology.
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