More than 300 Americans, survivors and relatives of victims from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, filed a lawsuit accusing Binance, founder Changpeng Zhao, and executive Guangying “Heina” Chen of moving over $1 billion that allegedly benefited Hamas and other militant groups.
The complaint was filed in a federal court in North Dakota and lists 306 American victims. This group includes families of people who were killed, injured, or taken hostage during the attack.
According to the filing, Binance “knowingly facilitated” transactions for groups that the US government identifies as terrorists, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Lawyers say that more than $1 billion moved through wallets linked to these groups, and over $50 million of that was sent even after the October 7 attack.
The families say that Binance’s system made it too easy for dangerous groups to move funds quietly. They claim the exchange had weak checks, allowed anonymous users, and did not stop suspicious activity even when clear signs were there.
They also say that Binance knew certain accounts were controlled by these groups but allowed them to operate anyway.
Because of this, the families are suing under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, a U.S. law that lets victims take action against companies they believe helped support terrorism.
This case comes after Binance’s 2023 guilty plea for breaking U.S. anti–money laundering rules. However, the company paid about $4.3 billion in penalties, and founder Changpeng Zhao stepped down and later served four months in prison.
So far, Binance and Changpeng Zhao have not given any public response to the new lawsuit. The case will now move through U.S. courts, where judges will decide if the company can be held responsible for allowing money that may have supported the October 7 attack.
For the families, this case is another step in their effort to seek justice for the loved ones they lost and the lives that were changed forever.
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