The cryptocurrency industry has undoubtedly seen tremendous growth and innovation since its inception, attracting millions of users and billions of dollars in investment. However, as the industry evolves, it faces increased scrutiny from regulators around the world. For this reason, Binance, the world’s leading crypto exchange, has taken significant steps to establish a robust compliance program and build a dedicated team to ensure it complies with global regulations while fostering trust within the digital asset ecosystem.
Build a culture of compliance
Recognizing the importance of compliance in a rapidly changing regulatory landscape, Binance has made substantial investments in developing a comprehensive compliance framework. The exchange has prioritized compliance as a core value, aiming to set the highest standards in the industry.
Binance’s compliance program begins with a strong commitment from its management, emphasizing compliance with local and global regulatory requirements. This commitment is evident in the company’s proactive approach to working with regulators around the world, seeking transparency and collaboration to shape responsible and sustainable regulations for the crypto industry.
Establish a strong compliance team
At the heart of Binance’s compliance efforts is its dedicated team, comprised of legal experts, compliance officers, and experienced professionals from a variety of regulatory backgrounds. The main focus of the team is to ensure Binance keeps up with the evolving regulatory landscape while driving industry-wide compliance initiatives.
Binance has strategically recruited professionals with in-depth knowledge of regulatory frameworks to ensure a thorough understanding of legal requirements in all jurisdictions. By hiring people with diverse skills, Binance has built a compliance team able to navigate the complex regulatory landscape and proactively address emerging challenges.
For example, the company has a Financial Crimes Compliance Team that includes a staff of 150 who handle multiple tasks to combat financial misconduct on the platform. The team is structured into distinct roles, including a law enforcement response team, a global training team, and a team focused on handling suspicious activity reports.
The Financial Crimes Compliance team is responsible for detecting and preventing financial vices such as money laundering and fraud, ensuring the protection of the company and its customers against potential risks. Highlighting the importance of the team, Tigran Gambaryan, Head of Financial Crimes Compliance at Binance, highlighted their accomplishments, developer that they successfully handled “over 50,000 law enforcement requests” in 2022.
In addition to its Financial Crimes Compliance Team, Binance has established several specialized divisions to ensure it continues to comply with global regulations while mitigating risk. The units include the Global Money Laundering Reporting Officer (GMLRO) division, the Sanctions, Anti-Bribery & Corruption (ABC) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) division, the Corporate Compliance division, the Customer Due Diligence (CDD) division, the High-Risk Clients division and the Transaction Monitoring division.
The GMLRO team, made up of four regional leaders and more than 60 experts, works closely with law enforcement agencies, regulators and financial intelligence units to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) laws.
Likewise, the Sanctions, ABC and CTF team, made up of approximately 40 people, develops policies and controls to minimize the risks associated with violations of sanctions, anti-corruption laws and measures to combat the financing of terrorism.
The Corporate Compliance team is comprised of experienced professionals in crypto, payments, and traditional banking. They monitor compliance controls, test them, and integrate them into all Binance products and services. The unit also manages regulatory reviews, audits, third party due diligence efforts and compliance training.
The CDD team focuses on verifying the identity of Binance users and trading partners through the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and Know-Your-Business (KYB) initiatives, thereby preventing fraudulent activity and money laundering.
The High Risk Clients team works with the CDD team to oversee increased due diligence for high risk users and businesses, implementing rigorous verification measures and advising the “first line of defense” on issues related to source of funds and wealth verification.
Finally, the company’s transaction monitoring team, made up of 18 managers and 175 analysts, conducts transaction audits using advanced analytical tools to detect money laundering and terrorist financing activities, ensuring compliance with global regulations in these areas.
Final Thoughts
Binance’s strong compliance program and dedicated team underscores the exchange’s commitment to maintaining trust and regulatory compliance within the crypto space. By leveraging the expertise of professionals from various fields and implementing strict compliance measures, Binance aims to foster a secure and compliant environment for its users.
As the industry continues to evolve, Binance’s proactive approach to compliance sets an example for other platforms, emphasizing the importance of regulatory compliance for long-term success and protecting crypto users and stakeholders.
Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to sign up and receive $100 free and 10% off Binance Futures fees for the first month (terms).
PrimeXBT Special Offer: Use this link to sign up and enter code CRYPTOPOTATO50 to receive up to $7,000 on your deposits.
