UPDATE
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is dealing with some major uncertainty after getting hit with a lawsuit from the US’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC. It’s the latest example of the increased federal scrutiny the industry has been under following a wave of scandals in the last few years.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, alleges that Binance intentionally evaded US laws including failing to register in the country and allowing Americans to trade crypto derivatives, which is barred for retail investors. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has called the lawsuit an “incomplete recitation of facts” in response. Since then, investors who use the platform have pulled out $1.6 billion, a significant uptick in withdrawals, though experts note that Binance’s reserves may be big enough to withstand such a hit.