Binance has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal after the newspaper reported the US Justice Department was investigating whether Iran used the exchange to evade sanctions.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, seeks damages and legal fees while demanding a jury trial over the publication’s reporting on the alleged probe.
Binance said it was not aware of any Justice Department investigation and reiterated that it continues to cooperate with regulators and law enforcement agencies.
“As always, we are collaborating with regulators and law enforcement to investigate the facts,”
A Binance spokesperson said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that US authorities were examining whether transactions on the exchange helped route funds to networks linked to Iran-backed groups, including Yemen’s Houthi militants.
The report cited company documents and people familiar with the matter but noted it was unclear whether investigators were examining Binance itself, its users, or both.
The dispute comes after Binance previously pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating US anti-money-laundering and sanctions laws, paying a $4.3 billion fine and agreeing to operate under US regulatory oversight.