- Court documents from Thursday show that the SEC says Binance US may be in violation of a consent order.
- The regulator has turned its attention to Binance’s custody arm Ceffu, alleging that Binance US is not supporting the probe.
- The US securities regulator says the custody arm is unregistered, and is likely being used to move assets overseas.
The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has accused Binance US of violation of a prior consent order. According to a court filing released Thursday, the US securities regulator argues that the crypto trading platform has failed to cooperate with the ongoing probe over alleged unregistered securities offerings.
Binance’s native token, BNB’s price remained unaffected by the development in the lawsuit.
Also read: ApeCoin holders oppose proposal to spend $12.1 million worth of APE for NFT series
SEC probe raises questions of prior court order violations
In June, the US securities regulator filed a lawsuit against Binance entities and founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) with 13 charges. These include operating unregistered exchanges, broker-dealers and clearing agencies, misrepresenting trading controls and oversight on the Binance US platform and the unregistered offer and sale of securities.
Since then, the SEC has added to its charges as the lawsuit drags on. In a court order from Thursday, the financial regulator raises questions on a likely violation of a consent order from Binance.US. A federal judge approved in June a consent order, based on a temporary agreement between the regulator and Binance US requiring that funds and assets are not moved offshore.
The government oversight agency believes that the exchange is in violation of this court order. The SEC suspects that Binance.US custody arm Ceffu is unregistered and the exchange is likely using this entity to move assets overseas, according to Thursday’s court documents.
In a September 12 filing, Binance.US addressed the SEC’s concerns over its custody arm. According to CZ’s exchange, the agency’s concerns are “much ado about nothing.”
The contents of the unsealed filing read:
“…the limited discovery BAM has provided to date raises questions about whether Defendants are in violation of the Consent Order because Binance Entities, including a newly rebranded Binance Entity called “Ceffu,” appear to have control of Customer Assets through their role in the establishment of wallets and keys shards related to BAM Customer Crypto Assets and control of the AWS environment that hosts the wallet custody software and stores the keys for BAM company and Customer Assets…”
The SEC therefore seeks the court’s intervention to request discovery and determine whether customer assets are being safeguarded in line with the consent order, or if they are being moved overseas.
Binance’s native token, BNB, is changing hands at $212.90 at the time of writing. The token’s price is currently unaffected by the development in the lawsuit and holders await Binance’s response to the SEC’s latest accusation.
Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins FAQs
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, a virtual currency designed to serve as money. This form of payment cannot be controlled by any one person, group, or entity, which eliminates the need for third-party participation during financial transactions.
What are altcoins?
Altcoins are any cryptocurrency apart from Bitcoin, but some also regard Ethereum as a non-altcoin because it is from these two cryptocurrencies that forking happens. If this is true, then Litecoin is the first altcoin, forked from the Bitcoin protocol and, therefore, an “improved” version of it.
What are stablecoins?
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable price, with their value backed by a reserve of the asset it represents. To achieve this, the value of any one stablecoin is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), with its supply regulated by an algorithm or demand. The main goal of stablecoins is to provide an on/off-ramp for investors willing to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins also allow investors to store value since cryptocurrencies, in general, are subject to volatility.
What is Bitcoin Dominance?
Bitcoin dominance is the ratio of Bitcoin's market capitalization to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies combined. It provides a clear picture of Bitcoin’s interest among investors. A high BTC dominance typically happens before and during a bull run, in which investors resort to investing in relatively stable and high market capitalization cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. A drop in BTC dominance usually means that investors are moving their capital and/or profits to altcoins in a quest for higher returns, which usually triggers an explosion of altcoin rallies.
Like this article? Help us with some feedback by answering this survey:
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
Is Altcoin Season here as Bitcoin reaches a new all-time high?
Bitcoin reaches a new all-time high of $98,384 on Thursday, with altcoins following the suit. Reports highlight that the recent surge in altcoins was fueled by the victory of crypto-friendly candidate Donal Trump in the US presidential election.
Shanghai court confirms legal recognition of crypto ownership
A Shanghai court has confirmed that owning digital assets, including Bitcoin, is legal under Chinese law. Judge Sun Jie of the Shanghai Songjiang People’s Court shared this opinion through the WeChat account of the Shanghai High People’s Court.
BTC hits an all-time high above $97,850, inches away from the $100K mark
Bitcoin hit a new all-time high of $97,852 on Thursday, and the technical outlook suggests a possible continuation of the rally to $100,000. BTC futures have surged past the $100,000 price mark on Deribit, and Lookonchain data shows whales are accumulating.
Shiba Inu holders withdraw 1.67 trillion SHIB tokens from exchange
Shiba Inu trades slightly higher, around $0.000024, on Thursday after declining more than 5% the previous week. SHIB’s on-chain metrics project a bullish outlook as holders accumulate recent dips, and dormant wallets are on the move, all pointing to a recovery in the cards.
Bitcoin: New high of $100K or correction to $78K?
Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high of $93,265 in the first half of the week, followed by a slight decline in the latter half. Reports highlight that Bitcoin’s current level is still not overvalued and could target levels above $100,000 in the coming weeks.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.