Binance Denies Being Monitored by German Regulators: Report

Key Points:

• According to the WSJ, Binance CEO and Changpeng Zhao (CZ) have been reviewed by the German regulator, but the exchange has denied the information.
• German Federal Finance (BaFin) advised Binance to withdraw its license application based on concerns about the complex structure of Changpeng Zhao and Binance.
• The cryptocurrency exchange said it has actively withdrawn its license application and will continue to cooperate with the country’s regulatory authorities.

Germany’s financial regulator advised Binance to withdraw its license application because of concerns about founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and the cryptocurrency company’s complex structure, according to people familiar with the decision and an internal Binance document viewed by the Wall Street Journal.

According to a July 28 report from The Wall Street Journal, BaFin advised Binance that CZ may not have passed a “fit and proper” test under the financial watchdog’s regulatory guidelines. According to the regulator’s requirements for a license application, managing directors CZ must have the necessary professional credentials, be in good standing, and commit enough time to carry out their duties in order to manage an institution.

A spokesperson for Binance told Cointelegraph that The Wall Street Journal’s story was incorrect and said the exchange had actively pulled back and cooperated with regulators. The exchange should have given specific feedback on CZ-related details at the time of publication.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange announced on July 26 that it had withdrawn its application in Germany, saying at the time that the decision was based in part on centralizing the company’s efforts into compliance with the European Union’s Crypto Asset Market (MiCA) framework.

The move comes after pulling out of markets including Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands and when regulators sued its US arm for operating an unregistered exchange.

Currently, Binance and its CEO are facing legal actions brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for allegedly violating securities laws and corresponding transaction instructions.

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