Tag: Crytpocurrency

Binance’s $4.3 Billion Payment in US Plea Deal Approved by Judge

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By Sabrina Willmer and Anna Edgerton. (Bloomberg). February 23, 2024.

Binance Holdings Ltd. will pay $4.3 billion after a judge approved a plea deal that levies one of the largest criminal penalties in US history against the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange.

“This really is a case where the ethics of the company were compromised by greed,” US District Judge Richard Jones said at a sentencing hearing in Seattle on Friday.

Late last year, Binance and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, pleaded guilty to anti-money
laundering and sanctions charges to resolve a long-running investigation by prosecutors
and regulators. Binance admitted that it allowed transactions with Hamas and other
terrorist groups on the exchange.

As part of the deal, the company’s compliance must be monitored by an independent firm
for as long as five years. The monitor hasn’t yet been apppointed. Bloomberg reported
earlier that New York-based law firm Sullivan & Cromwell was poised to take the coveted
role.

Read more here: Bloomberg

Coinbase wins approval to offer crypto futures trading in US

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By Reuters Staff. (Reuters). August 16, 2023.

Coinbase Global (COIN.O) said on Wednesday it had secured approval to offer cryptocurrency futures to U.S. retail customers, scoring a major regulatory win even as the crypto exchange battles a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Shares of the company climbed 5.5% to $83.52 in premarket trading. The approval was granted by the National Futures Association (NFA), a self-regulatory organization designated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

“This is a critical milestone that reaffirms our commitment to operate a regulated and compliant business,” Coinbase said.

The company has openly criticized the SEC, which in a June lawsuit accused Coinbase of operating illegally because it had failed to register as an exchange.

CEO Brian Armstrong has also said more U.S. crypto companies could move offshore due to a hostile regulatory environment and that SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s enforcement-first approach could stifle innovation in the industry.

Read the full article here.