美司法部對幣安長達四年的調查因各部門之間的分歧始終無果
MARCO QUIROZ-GUTIERREZ
2022-12-14
對幣安及其CEO趙長鵬的任何行動，都將是對加密貨幣行業的巨大沖擊。攝影：BEN MCSHANE —— SPORTSFILE FOR WEB SUMMIT經蓋蒂圖片社提供
美國司法部在2018年啟動對全球最大加密貨幣交易平臺幣安（Binance）的調查，但路透社周一引用四位匿名消息人士的話稱，各部門之間的分歧導致調查遲遲無法得出結果。
對幣安的調查涉及該加密貨幣交易平臺是否遵守了美國的反洗錢法和制裁規定。據路透社報道，在被舉報有犯罪分子利用該平臺非法轉移資金后，幣安開始接受調查。
司法部的三個部門參與了調查，分別是洗錢和資產追回科（Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section，MLARS）、美國華盛頓西區檢察官辦公室（U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington）和國家加密貨幣執法團隊（National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team）。
據路透社報道，幣安從Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher律所聘請的辯護律師曾向司法部討論過達成認罪協議的可能性。路透社還報道，美國當局還有另外三個選項：起訴幣安及其高管，包括CEO趙長鵬，談判和解，或者不采取任何措施并終結本案。
兩位匿名消息人士對路透社表示，司法部內有人希望基于現有證據繼續采取激進措施，對幣安高管提起刑事犯罪指控，但也有人建議首先收集更多證據。
司法部發言人拒絕向《財富》雜志發表意見。
而幣安則對周一這篇報道進行淡化處理。該公司發言人對《財富》雜志表示，監管人員正在全面調查其他多加加密貨幣公司的類似問題。
發言人在一份聲明中表示：“幣安通過大力投資負責監測和發現違法活動的團隊以及使用的工具和技術，展現了我們對安全和合規的承諾。”
對幣安采取的任何措施將是對加密貨幣行業的又一次沉重打擊。目前，整個行業仍未擺脫上周FTX破產所帶來的影響。趙長鵬在FTX破產中扮演了一定的角色。他先是于11月初公開宣布，幣安將出售其所持有的由FTX創建的代幣FTT，引發了大規模拋售。幣安準備收購陷入困境的加密貨幣交易平臺，但趙長鵬后來取消了交易，導致FTX只能宣布破產。（財富中文網）
翻譯：劉進龍
審校：汪皓
美國司法部在2018年啟動對全球最大加密貨幣交易平臺幣安（Binance）的調查，但路透社周一引用四位匿名消息人士的話稱，各部門之間的分歧導致調查遲遲無法得出結果。
對幣安的調查涉及該加密貨幣交易平臺是否遵守了美國的反洗錢法和制裁規定。據路透社報道，在被舉報有犯罪分子利用該平臺非法轉移資金后，幣安開始接受調查。
司法部的三個部門參與了調查，分別是洗錢和資產追回科（Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section，MLARS）、美國華盛頓西區檢察官辦公室（U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington）和國家加密貨幣執法團隊（National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team）。
據路透社報道，幣安從Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher律所聘請的辯護律師曾向司法部討論過達成認罪協議的可能性。路透社還報道，美國當局還有另外三個選項：起訴幣安及其高管，包括CEO趙長鵬，談判和解，或者不采取任何措施并終結本案。
兩位匿名消息人士對路透社表示，司法部內有人希望基于現有證據繼續采取激進措施，對幣安高管提起刑事犯罪指控，但也有人建議首先收集更多證據。
司法部發言人拒絕向《財富》雜志發表意見。
而幣安則對周一這篇報道進行淡化處理。該公司發言人對《財富》雜志表示，監管人員正在全面調查其他多加加密貨幣公司的類似問題。
發言人在一份聲明中表示：“幣安通過大力投資負責監測和發現違法活動的團隊以及使用的工具和技術，展現了我們對安全和合規的承諾。”
對幣安采取的任何措施將是對加密貨幣行業的又一次沉重打擊。目前，整個行業仍未擺脫上周FTX破產所帶來的影響。趙長鵬在FTX破產中扮演了一定的角色。他先是于11月初公開宣布，幣安將出售其所持有的由FTX創建的代幣FTT，引發了大規模拋售。幣安準備收購陷入困境的加密貨幣交易平臺，但趙長鵬后來取消了交易，導致FTX只能宣布破產。（財富中文網）
翻譯：劉進龍
審校：汪皓
Any actions brought against Binance and its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, would be another significant hit to the crypto industry.
The Department of Justice has been looking into Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, since 2018, but intradepartmental disagreements are delaying the investigation’s conclusion, Reuters reported Monday, citing four anonymous sources.
The Binance query has to do with the crypto exchange’s compliance, or lack thereof, with U.S. anti-money-laundering laws and sanctions. The investigation followed reports of criminals using Binance to move money illicitly, according to Reuters.
Three different DOJ offices are involved: the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team.
Defense attorneys for Binance at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher have reportedly spoken to the Justice Department about possible plea deals, according to Reuters, which also reported that U.S. authorities otherwise have three options: bring indictments against Binance and top executives, including CEO Changpeng Zhao, negotiate a settlement, or take no action and close the case.
Some in the DOJ want to move forward aggressively using existing evidence, filing individual criminal charges against Binance executives, while others have advocated for collecting more evidence first, two confidential sources told Reuters.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment to Fortune.
Binance, for its part, has played down the Monday report. A company spokesperson told Fortune that regulators are doing a sweeping review of several crypto companies for similar issues.
“Binance has shown its commitment to security and compliance through large investments in our team as well as the tools and technology we use to detect and deter illicit activity,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Any actions brought against Binance would be another significant hit to the crypto industry, which is still reeling from the collapse of FTX last month. CZ played a role in that as he publicly declared in early November that Binance would sell its holdings of FTT, a token created by FTX, which led to a massive selloff. Binance was set to buy out the beleaguered crypto exchange but CZ backed out of the deal, leaving FTX with no option besides bankruptcy.
