Binance Hands Over User Data to Russia Amid Controversy

The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has confirmed that it provides customer data to Russian law enforcement agencies upon request. According to Reuters, this includes personal and transaction data of a user who donated to the Ukrainian military. The case involves Yuri Belyenky, a 49-year-old IT specialist from Russia, who was detained in September 2025 for transferring over $700 in cryptocurrency to the Ukrainian military between January 2023 and March 2024. Documents obtained by Reuters show that investigators requested Binance to provide Belyenky's transaction history, which the exchange confirmed.

The file sent to Russian authorities contained not only the customer's transaction data but also personal information such as date of birth, address, phone number, passport details, and a copy of his Bulgarian residence permit. This raises concerns about the protection of user data and the potential consequences for those who donate to organizations considered terrorist groups by certain governments.

Binance has denied claims that it should have refused to cooperate with Russian investigators, stating that they follow applicable legal and regulatory requirements when providing information to law enforcement agencies.