Binance Hands Over Client Data to Russian Authorities Amid Ukraine Donations
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, handed over details of a Russian client's donations to Ukrainian fundraising campaigns to Moscow authorities last year. The information was used as evidence in a terrorism financing case against IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy.
The case highlights Binance's compliance with law enforcement requests, even after it claimed to have exited Russia in 2023. Documents show that Russian officials sent a request for Belenkiy's transaction history, and Binance responded by sending details of crypto transfers to Ukrainian organizations.
Bystrov, a lawyer specializing in crypto regulation, said that under EU data protection law, Binance may have had an obligation not to provide the data. However, Binance disputes this view, stating that it cooperates with lawful information requests from law enforcement globally, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Belenkiy's lawyer did not respond to questions about the case or Binance's role in the investigation.