Former Binance CEO CZ waves off accusations on Iran, terror ties

Policy Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Former Binance CEO CZ waves off accusations on Iran, terror ties The founder of the world's largest exchange distanced himself from reports about Binance activity that reports had recently suggested aided terrorism. By Jesse Hamilton | Edited by Nikhilesh De Mar 18, 2026, 3:48 p.m. Make us preferred on Google Changpeng "CZ” Zhao addressed accusations that Binance enabled transactions with Iranian accounts.(Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk) What to know : Changpeng "CZ” Zhao, the founder and former CEO of global crypto exchange Binance, argued that accusations the platform acted as a conduit for Iranian transactions don't make sense. Zhao spoke remotely at a Washington event to say he has "zero interest" in being involved with Iran, which recently attacked the country he lives in. Changpeng "CZ” Zhao embraced a chance to distance himself from recent accusations against Binance that it has been involved in handling transactions that potentially enabled terrorism financing in Iran. "I have zero interest in doing that," said the founder and former chief executive of the exchange, who agreed to leave his company under a criminal settlement with the U.S. "I live in a country that's being attacked by Iran. Even before that, I was just not interested in that," he said in a video appearance at the Digital Chamber's DC Blockchain Summit on Wednesday. CZ, a resident of the United Arab Emirates, cited a couple of civil lawsuits recently dismissed in U.S. courts that had accused Binance of acting as a conduit for terrorism financing. He also argued that the Iran-tied transactions in question don't generate fees and wouldn't offer any business attraction for the firm to get involved in. "There's no benefit," CZ, who'd served a prison sentence and received a pardon from President Donald Trump, said in defense of the implications against his former company. Binance, the largest global crypto exchange that had settled U.S. anti-money-laundering and sanctions-violation accusations in 2023, sued the Wall Street Journal last week for reporting that it had fired compliance personnel who'd flagged suspicious transactions that may have violated sanctions. Internal investigators had allegedly flagged more than $1 billion in crypto transfers from Chinese clients into wallets linked to Iranian financing networks. The company has asserted that it couldn't find evidence that accounts on its platforms had transacted directly with Iranian entities. CZ, who is close to launching a memoir he'd worked on during his time in prison, said he's been targeted by false accusations. "The way they're attacking, they're completely using false, baseless information," he said. Read More: Binance tells Senate probe no accounts sent crypto directly to Iran More For You Key U.S. senator on crypto market structure bill negotiation: 'We think we've got it' By Jesse Hamilton | Edited by Nikhilesh De 38 minutes ago Senator Cynthia Lummis, at the center of legislative talks, said the discussion is down to nuance and the bill will finally emerge from her committee in April. What to know : U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis, who runs the crypto subcommittee within the Senate Banking Committee, says the crypto market structure bill should advance from the committee by late April. She said the talks have essentially worked out a compromise on stablecoin yield that the crypto industry had been hashing out with bankers focused on how stablecoin companies describe their offerings. Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, said she expects the bill to pass the Senate by the end of the year. Read full story Latest Crypto News Trump-linked American Bitcoin's BTC holdings overtake Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital 4 minutes ago Crypto exchange Kraken freezes multibillion-dollar IPO plan due to difficult market conditions 35 minutes ago Traders can now bet on the S&P 500 around the clock without ever touching a traditional stock exchange 36 minutes ago Key U.S. senator on crypto market structure bill negotiation: 'We think we've got it' 38 minutes ago Bitcoin hash rate is tumbling as Iran war lifts energy prices 56 minutes ago Bank of Korea adds two banks to digital won trials as real-world testing begins 1 hour ago Top Stories Bitcoin quickly pulls back to $71,000 as Iran fears team up with poor U.S. inflation data 2 hours ago U.S. SEC issues first-ever definitions for what crypto assets are securities 19 hours ago Powell's comments on oil, inflation are likely to guide bitcoin traders 4 hours ago UK lawmakers urge ‘immediate moratorium’ on crypto political donations 3 hours ago Stratton wins Illinois Senate primary, defeating crypto-backed Krishnamoorthi 12 hours ago Bitcoin’s rally runs into 'sell the news' risk ahead of Fed decision 5 hours ago