The biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Binance, has been charged with ordering employees to hide the company’s activities in China, including a location there that was still operational as least as of the beginning of 2020. Despite the company’s public claims that it had departed China in 2017, a new Financial Times story has uncovered Binance’s vast and deep links to the nation. Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, and several senior executives have been charged with lying about the location of their executive offices and claiming falsely that their headquarters were based on Zhao’s presence as part of a regulatory avoidance scheme. These accusations compound Binance’s existing regulatory issues, which already include a complaint from the US CFTC for allegedly offering unlawful services to American consumers.
Internal records demonstrate that even after the 2017 crackdown, China remained a significant part of Binance’s business. In 2019, Binance ordered its Chinese personnel to participate in a tax seminar at a location in the nation after informing them that their pay would be paid via a bank in Shanghai. The results raise major concerns about Binance’s dedication to transparency and legal compliance, especially in light of a recent study that indicated Binance workers may be deliberately supporting Chinese users in dodging the strict crypto restrictions of their home country.
Binance has denied these claims, claiming that unnamed sources are misrepresenting the facts and invoking events from antiquity. However, the case against the corporation is becoming stronger. Investors and authorities should be concerned about the increasing concerns concerning Binance’s covert connections to China and regulatory avoidance tactics. Further investigations might be prompted by the growing body of evidence, which would be very detrimental to Binance’s operations going forward and its image.
The corporation may need to drastically alter its business procedures, strengthen its compliance infrastructure, and create alliances with reputable financial institutions in order to weather this storm. Binance may still come out stronger and more resilient than ever by addressing authorities’ worries and exhibiting a renewed commitment to openness and compliance. The path ahead for Binance is undoubtedly difficult, and if it doesn’t change and adapt, it might face severe fines, registration and trading restrictions, and perhaps lose market share.
