🚨Attention: Binance US to Halt Operations in Washington by August 2024
In light of increasing regulatory challenges, Binance US has announced it will cease operations in Washington state. This decision follows heightened regulatory scrutiny faced by the exchange.
All accounts based in Washington must be closed by August 20, 2024, due to the expiration of the exchange's operating license.
Additionally, Binance US is inaccessible to customers in other states and regions, including Alaska, American Samoa, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
**Binance Faces Multiple License Revocations**
Earlier this month, North Dakota's financial market regulator revoked Binance US's money transmitter license, making it the seventh state to do so following actions by Alaska, Florida, Maine, North Carolina, and Oregon. The North Dakota regulator noted that Binance US no longer met the necessary qualifications for a new money transmission license.
These license revocations highlight the regulatory difficulties Binance is encountering. The involvement of Changpeng Zhao, Binance's co-founder and former CEO, who indirectly owns Binance US and maintains control over the entity despite his imprisonment, exacerbates these issues. Zhao remains a significant shareholder in Binance.com.
**Recent Lawsuits Against Binance**
In June 2023, the US SEC filed a lawsuit against Binance, accusing it of failing to register as an exchange, broker, and clearing agency, lacking controls over manipulative trading, engaging in wash trading, and commingling funds with Binance.com. Despite Zhao's imprisonment, he continues to exert influence over the company.
In March 2024, the SEC also accused the exchange of failing to provide adequate information about the custody of customer assets.
Recently, Binance was fined $2.25 million by India's Financial Intelligence Unit for violating anti-money laundering regulations, as reported by Reuters.
