(Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department is seeking more than $4 billion from Binance Holdings as part of a proposed resolution of a years-long investigation, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the discussions.
Negotiations between the Justice Department and Binance include the possibility that the cryptocurrency exchange’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, would face criminal charges in the United States, the report said.
The potentially hefty penalty could end a high-stakes investigation into the company, and any resolution is likely to play a crucial role in deciding investor sentiment toward crypto.
The industry was shaken by several high-profile collapses last year, including the bankruptcy of Binance’s former arch rival FTX, but it is looking to regain some footing after getting a vote of confidence from some traditional financial institutions.
An announcement on the resolution could come as soon as the end of this month, Bloomberg reported.
CAUGHT IN REGULATORY QUAGMIRE
Binance has been under the Justice Department’s scanner since at least 2018, Reuters reported last year. Federal prosecutors asked the company in December 2020 to provide internal records about its anti-money laundering checks, along with communications involving Zhao, Reuters has reported.
The DoJ probe is one of a string of legal and regulatory headaches the world’s biggest crypto exchange faces in the United States.
In June, the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Binance and Zhao, accusing them of operating an “elaborate scheme to evade U.S. federal securities laws.”
Binance denied the SEC’s allegations and said it would “vigorously defend” its platform.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission also sued the exchange in March for “willful evasion” of U.S. commodities law, alleging that Binance and Zhao operated an “illegal” exchange and a “sham” compliance program.
Zhao fought back, calling those charges an “incomplete recitation of the facts.”
But with crypto markets subdued compared with the highs of 2021, Binance continues to have a rough year. It has also witnessed an executive exodus and slumping market share.
At least a dozen executives have left the exchange in recent months, including Binance’s chief strategy officer, general counsel and chief product officer.
Binance did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Justice Department declined to comment.
(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Tom Wilson in London; Aditional reporting by Chris Prentice in New York; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Maju Samuel)
