News View Non-AMP

FinCEN Cracks Down on Bitzlato, Binance Named as CounterParty

Published by
Sohrab Khawas

Binance, a major player in the cryptocurrency industry, was recently named as one of the top three counterparties of Bitzlato, a crypto-to-crypto platform that has been accused of money laundering and other criminal activities, according to an order released by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). 

This has raised concerns about the rules and regulations surrounding crypto exchanges and how they may be impacted by the actions of major industry players like Binance.

Background on FinCEN and the Bitzlato Case

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a branch of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that oversees laws and regulations related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes, recently issued an order against Bitzlato for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) regulations. 

In December 2022, Bitzlato was charged with money laundering, terrorist financing, and processing transactions for individuals and entities on U.S. sanctions lists.

As a result, FinCEN imposed a civil money penalty of $60 million on Bitzlato, and it was also revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had detained Anatoly Legkodymov, the founder of BitZlato. This highlights the severe consequences that can result from non-compliance with financial regulations and the importance of maintaining compliance for cryptocurrency exchanges and other financial institutions.

Binance was named as one of the top 3 counterparties of Bitzlato in a money laundering investigation report released by FINCEN

What does this mean for Binance?

Binance has yet to respond to FinCEN’s order, but it is expected that the company will take the necessary steps to address the issues raised in the order. This may include strengthening their anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) measures, as well as enhancing compliance protocols to adhere to U.S. regulations. 

As laws and regulations related to crypto exchanges become increasingly strict, Binance may need to consider the feasibility of providing services to U.S. customers.

The FinCEN order against Bitzlato and the naming of Binance as a counterparty has significant implications for the entire cryptocurrency industry. The cost of compliance is expected to rise as scrutiny for AML and CFT methods of exchanges increases. 

As the crypto industry continues to grow and evolve, major exchanges such as Binance must stay ahead of regulatory changes and take steps to ensure compliance with laws and regulations in order to maintain the integrity of the industry.

Sohrab Khawas

Sohrab is a passionate cryptocurrency news writer with over five years of experience covering the industry. He keeps a keen interest in blockchain technology and its potential to revolutionize finance. Whether he's trading or writing, Sohrab always keeps his finger on the pulse of the crypto world, using his expertise to deliver informative and engaging articles that educate and inspire. When he's not analyzing the markets, Sohrab indulges in his hobbies of graphic design, minimal design or listening to his favorite hip-hop tunes.

Recent Posts

Litecoin, Solana, XRP Among Top Crypto ETFs Set for 2025 Approval

In a recent update, Bloomberg’s Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas shared fresh updates on the…

April 30, 2025

Token2049 Announcements: Institutional TON Staking with Chorus One’s TON Pool

The Open Network (TON), initially conceived by Telegram, has rapidly evolved into a significant Layer…

April 30, 2025

Investors Are Choosing Ruvi AI (RUVI) Over Ripple (XRP) As The Most Promising Project In 2025, Could This Be The Next 100x Gem?

While Ripple (XRP) remains a key player in cross-border payments and blockchain technology, a new…

April 30, 2025

Staking Rewards Are Drying Up—But FXGuys Still Offers Juicy 20% Profit Share

Staking yields across DeFi are collapsing. Where once APYs of 15–30% were common, today’s staking…

April 30, 2025

Top 3 Cryptos to Watch in Early May: MUTM Gains Traction Against ADA and XRP

The start of May often brings renewed activity in the cryptocurrency market, and this year…

April 30, 2025

Forget Ethereum Staking: Bitcoin Solaris Unveils Lucrative Mobile Mining Platform for Everyday Millionaires

For years, staking Ethereum was seen as one of the clearest paths to passive crypto…

April 30, 2025