On February 14, Fortune reported that Binance recently dismissed several compliance investigators. Internal documents revealed that these investigators reported that between March 2024 and August 2025, entities linked to Iran received over $1 billion through Binance. These transactions used the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and were settled on the Tron network, potentially violating US sanctions regulations.
The report states that at least five investigators have been dismissed since the end of 2025, many of whom have law enforcement backgrounds in Europe and Asia and were previously responsible for investigations into global financial crime and sanctions evasion. In addition to these individuals, at least four senior compliance staff have left or been forced to resign in the past three months.
In 2023, Binance reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice for violating anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations, paying a $4.3 billion fine. Founder CZ pleaded guilty and resigned as CEO, later being sentenced to four months in prison. The company subsequently entered a period of government regulatory oversight and pledged to strengthen its compliance system.
In response to the latest reports, a Binance spokesperson stated that the company could not comment on the ongoing investigation and emphasized that it will continue to comply with applicable sanctions laws and regulations in various regions.
