CFTC Charges Changpeng Zhao With 'Knowingly' Violating Federal Law

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a civil enforcement action against Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance, one of the last remaining major crypto exchanges. The suit charges that the platform 

The suit charges that Zhao knowingly violated numerous laws under the Commodity Exchange Act by maintaining an "intentionally opaque common enterprise." 

“Today’s enforcement action demonstrates that there is no location, or claimed lack of location, that will prevent the CFTC from protecting American investors," CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam said in a press release. "I have been clear that the CFTC will continue to use all of its authority to find and stop misconduct in the volatile and risky digital asset market." 

Samuel Lim, Binance’s former chief compliance officer, is also named in the suit. 

“For years, Binance knew they were violating CFTC rules, working actively to both keep the money flowing and avoid compliance," Behnan continued. "This should be a warning to anyone in the digital asset world that the CFTC will not tolerate willful avoidance of U.S. law." 

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