FinCEN lists Binance among the top Bitcoin counterparties of Bitzlato
FinCEN placed Binance next to the darknet market Hydra as a major counterparty receiving Bitcoin from Bitzlato. The United States Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the Treasury Department, has argued that Binance is linked to the illegal cryptocurrency platform Bitzlato. In an order published on Jan. 18, FinCEN stated that Binance cryptocurrency exchange was among the “top three receiving counterparties” of Bitzlato in terms of Bitcoin (BTC) transactions. According to the authority, Binance was among the biggest counterparties that received Bitcoin from Bitzlato between May 2018 and September 2022. Other such counterparties included Russia-connected darknet market Hydra and the alleged Russia-based Ponzi scheme known as “TheFiniko,” FinCEN noted. On the other hand, FinCEN did not mention Binance as the top three sending counterparties in the order. According to the document, the biggest Bitcoin senders to Bitzlato between May 2018 and September 2022 were Hydr...