UAE Authorities Detain Two Binance Employees in Financial Crimes Probe

Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, is facing increased scrutiny from law enforcement in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over the past few weeks, two employees of the exchange were detained by authorities as part of an investigation into potential financial crimes linked to Binance.

According to The New York Times, citing four sources, the employees were stopped at UAE airports and taken to police stations for questioning. One of them was held overnight after traveling through Sharjah this month. In July, the head of Binance's Dubai subsidiary was also questioned by law enforcement.

Binance has denied any involvement in financial crimes and stated that its employees were only asked to provide testimony as part of routine inquiries into third-party fund flows. The exchange claimed that its staff 'were never targets or subjects of these investigations' and were promptly released after providing statements.

The detentions highlight the legal and compliance risks for Binance in the UAE, which has become one of the exchange's key regions. In 2022, Binance obtained a license to operate in Dubai, and in December 2025, it received several licenses to operate in Abu Dhabi.