In a recent revelation, it has been reported that Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, discreetly informed its VIP traders about its impending $4.3 billion settlement with US authorities. This exclusive disclosure took place during a private dinner in Singapore, two months before the official settlement was announced. The event, attended by some of Binance’s most significant traders, aimed to reassure them that the exchange would emerge “resilient” despite the legal challenges it was facing. Furthermore, it has been revealed that Binance extended certain privileges to its VIP users. According to the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, these select traders received notifications from Binance if they were under law enforcement scrutiny. This effectively positioned Binance as an informant for its high-tier clients, alerting them to any account changes resulting from legal investigations.As a result of these revelations, Binance’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, has stepped down following his guilty plea to criminal charges in the US. The VIP team at Binance was reportedly instructed to subtly hint at ongoing investigations to concerned users without explicitly advising them to withdraw funds or evade legal scrutiny.Binance’s VIP customers have played a crucial role in the platform’s trading volume and revenue, sometimes accounting for up to three-quarters of the total. Despite policies prohibiting US residents from trading on the platform, US users formed a significant part of the VIP user base, generating as much as 20% of transaction fees. To retain its US clientele, Binance allegedly encouraged users to modify their Know Your Customer (KYC) documents and use VPNs to hide their actual location. VIP users, especially the top 100, were given time and leeway to create or find non-US entities to continue trading.These revelations raise important questions about the ethical and regulatory practices of major cryptocurrency exchanges and their commitment to compliance amid increasing scrutiny from global regulators. It remains to be seen how these developments will impact Binance and the wider cryptocurrency industry.

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Information	Details
Geography	Asia
Countries	🇸🇬 🇺🇸
Sentiment	neutral
Relevance Score	1
People	Changpeng Zhao
Companies	US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Binance, FinCEN, CNBC, Bloomberg
Currencies	None
Securities	None