The US Department of Justice is reviewing whether Binance has complied with the criminal settlement it struck with American authorities in November 2023, after prosecutors in New York requested the forfeiture of $61 million in digital assets allegedly linked to laundered Iranian oil sales.
The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed the seizure request over funds that, according to Binance's own internal review, trace back to unauthorized Iranian crude oil sales processed through accounts on the exchange. That internal report identified operations connected to Iranian financier Babak Zanjani totalling $850 million, with $67 million of the proceeds allegedly transferred to wallets controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
The 2023 settlement, under which Binance paid $4.3 billion and agreed to install an independent anti-money laundering monitor, resolved earlier US criminal charges against the exchange. Any finding that Binance breached the terms of that agreement could allow the DOJ to reactivate the original charges against Binance Holdings Ltd. and impose fresh sanctions.
Tysen Duva, head of the DOJ's criminal division, confirmed the review is underway but stressed no wrongdoing has yet been established. "No violation of the agreement by the company has been established at this time," Duva said. The department has not set a deadline for concluding the review and has not filed additional charges against the company or its executives.
Pressure on the department has come from Capitol Hill. In early 2026, members of the Senate Banking Committee, including Chris Van Hollen and Elizabeth Warren, sent letters to the DOJ demanding action. "Binance has an established history of putting profits above the law. Recent reports raise serious concerns that the firm is again violating US sanctions laws," the senators wrote.
The scrutiny arrives against a politically charged backdrop. Binance maintains business ties with World Liberty Financial, a venture linked to the Trump family, and in October 2025 Donald Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. Binance, for its part, said it is working to address the concerns raised by authorities. "We are continuously working to improve our controls and we are fully committed to cooperating with the authorities," the company said.
New rules for Brazilian users
Separately, Binance is overhauling compliance requirements for its Brazilian customer base. Starting November 1, 2026, users in Brazil will be required to declare the purpose of international crypto withdrawals and deposits, along with the identity of recipients and senders.
The changes follow Resolution No. 521/2025 from Banco Central do Brasil, which brought virtual asset transfers under the country's foreign exchange regime. Binance has also set an operational limit of $100,000 per transaction for dealings with counterparties not authorized under Brazil's exchange market rules, and will be required to submit monthly control reports to the Brazilian regulator.
