World's largest crypto platform Binance charged by US regulator

WASHINGTON: The largest crypto trading platform in the world, Binance.com, and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, have been charged by a US regulator with a variety of securities law violations.

The US' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a statement on Monday said Zhao and Binance entities engaged in an extensive web of deception, conflicts of interest, lack of disclosure, and calculated evasion of the law.

Among other things, the US regulator alleged while Zhao and Binance publicly claimed that US customers were restricted from transacting on Binance.com, but in reality subverted their own controls to secretly allow high-value US customers to continue trading on its platform.

"Through thirteen charges, we allege that Zhao and Binance entities engaged in an extensive web of deception, conflicts of interest, lack of disclosure, and calculated evasion of the law," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler.

"As alleged, Zhao and Binance misled investors about their risk controls and corrupted trading volumes while actively concealing who was operating the platform, the manipulative trading of its affiliated market maker, and even where and with whom investor funds and crypto assets were custodied."

Gensler added they attempted to evade US securities laws by announcing sham controls that they disregarded behind the scenes so that they could keep high-value US customers on their platforms.