CZ and Binance Face New Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Laundering of Stolen Crypto

Highlights:

• A new class action lawsuit alleges Binance failed to prevent money laundering and asset recovery.
• Plaintiffs claim Binance’s actions made stolen crypto untraceable despite blockchain records.
• The suit accuses Binance of violating US sanctions and aiding money laundering.

Three crypto investors have filed a new class action lawsuit against crypto exchange Binance and its former Chief Executive Officer, Changpeng Zhao (CZ). The investors allege that Binance failed to prevent money laundering, leaving them unable to recover stolen assets.

On Aug. 16, a class action complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle. The plaintiffs claim their crypto was stolen and transferred to the exchange to “remove the connection between the ledger and their digital assets,” rendering them untraceable. The plaintiffs argued that a key feature of crypto transactions is a permanent record on the blockchain, making them permanently and accurately traceable.

BINANCE AND CZ HIT WITH ANOTHER LAWSUIT OVER ALLEGED MONEY LAUNDERING – REPORT

– Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) are facing a class action lawsuit in Seattle federal court, according to Consensys legal counsel Bill Hughes.

Key Details:

– The lawsuit, filed by… https://t.co/B107HlYwAT pic.twitter.com/lXphgtXh2z

— BSCN (@BSCNews) August 21, 2024

The defendants are accused of boosting Binance’s revenue by collaborating with criminals, thieves, and sanctioned users. The lawsuit labels Binance as the “Crypto-Wash Empire.”

Binance Faces Legal Trouble Over Alleged AML Violations

The plaintiffs allege that Binance played a crucial role in the money laundering scheme, violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. They argue that Binance grew into the largest crypto exchange by intentionally avoiding US regulations.

The class-action suit alleges:

“Therefore, without a place to launder crypto, such as Binance.com, if a bad actor steals someone else’s crypto, there is a risk the authorities would eventually track them down by retracing their steps on the blockchain.”

The lawsuit states that from August 2017 to October 2022, the crypto exchange enabled millions of dollars in transactions between US users and those in heavily sanctioned regions like Cuba, Syria, and the Ukrainian areas of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. The Defendants profited from transactions that broke IEEPA rules and various US sanctions. The settlement with OFAC reveals that Binance.com processed 1,667,153 transactions totaling $706,068,127, violating US sanctions programs.

Hughes Questions Class Action Suit’s Validity and Impact on Binance

Bill Hughes, senior counsel and director of global regulatory matters at Consensys, expressed doubt about the suit’s ability to prove the allegations. In an X post, Hughes said the new class action complaint is a natural, predictable follow-on civil action” seeking to profit from government prosecutions.

He said:

“If this case goes far into discovery and even to dispositive pre-trial motions, then the efficacy of blockchain analytics itself and on-chain asset recovery will be on trial.”

Further, Hughes noted that Binance is in a tough spot. If they care about the industry, it’s hard for them to discuss tracing and recovery. The new class action follows multiple legal actions against Zhao and Binance.

👀🚨👀🚨 @binance and @cz_binance were sued last Friday by class plaintiffs in Seattle federal court. An interesting class action brought by top class action lawyers alleging consumer harm as a result of Binance's money laundering. And the natural, predictable follow-on civil… pic.twitter.com/vMlFuUnzEr

— Bill Hughes : wchughes.eth 🦊 (@BillHughesDC) August 20, 2024

In November 2023, Zhao and Binance reached a plea deal with the US Department of Justice over inadequate AML measures. As part of the settlement, Binance agreed to pay over $4 billion, and Zhao resigned as CEO. Additionally, Zhao faced a $50 million personal fine for violations involving transactions with sanctioned regions like Iran and North Korea. In April, a federal judge sentenced CZ to four months in prison, less than the three years sought by prosecutors.