US Court Dismisses Major Claims in Binance Hamas-Linked Payments Case

A federal court in Alabama has dismissed key parts of a lawsuit accusing Binance, its US affiliate Binance.US, and former CEO Changpeng Zhao of facilitating transfers of cryptocurrency to terrorist groups. Victims of the October 7 attacks had filed the complaint in February 2024. The plaintiffs alleged that the companies and Zhao enabled payments linked…


A federal court in Alabama has dismissed key parts of a
lawsuit accusing Binance, its US affiliate Binance.US, and former CEO Changpeng
Zhao of facilitating transfers of cryptocurrency to terrorist groups.

Victims of the October 7 attacks had filed the complaint in
February 2024. The plaintiffs alleged that the companies and Zhao enabled
payments linked to Hamas through the exchange. They argued that the
defendants โ€œviolated, and may be continuing to violate, the Anti-Terrorism Actโ€
by allowing funds to move through the platform.

Alabama Court Partially Dismisses Binance Lawsuit

In an order, Chad Bryan granted a motion filed by Zhao to
dismiss significant portions of the complaint. However, the judge did not close
the case entirely. He ordered the plaintiffs to file a second amended complaint
by April 10 or risk โ€œthe prospect of a total or partial dismissal.โ€

Bryan noted that the claims carried serious implications and
required stronger legal arguments to proceed. โ€œThe underlying harm here is
serious,โ€ he said, adding that the allegations and potential liability were
also โ€œserious.โ€ He wrote that the complaint must show a โ€œcommensurate level of
seriousness before the action will be permitted to proceed.โ€

Following the decision, Binance said the ruling represented
a โ€œfull and complete legal victory.โ€

New York Court Dismisses Claims, Binance Faces Iran
Scrutiny

Last week, the US District Court for the Southern District
of New York dismissed claims against Binance for โ€œlack of personal
jurisdiction.โ€ Judge Jeannette Vargas noted, however, that similar allegations
had survived dismissal in another case in the district.

Binance general counsel Eleanor Hughes said that โ€œsanctions
compliance and terrorism financing are serious matters of law,โ€ and courts had
examined the claims twice and found them โ€œwithout merit.โ€ Judge Vargas added
that the case remains active and the court retains authority to ensure parties
comply with evidence preservation rules.

Separately, media reports allege Binance processed over $1
billion in transactions linked to Iran, prompting Senate inquiries. Binance
denies the claims and has filed a defamation suit against The
Wall Street Journal over its reporting on a Justice Department probe.

This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Source link