Changpeng Zhao: The report that "Binance fired its employee because investigators discovered transactions related to Iran" is "self-contradictory."

PANews reported on February 14th that, according to The Block, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao disputed reports that Binance fired investigators after they discovered transactions related to Iran, calling the report "contradictory." Responding to an earlier Fortune magazine report on the X platform, Zhao stated that he was unaware of the specifics but believed the report's logic was flawed. He pointed out that if the allegations were true, it would also demonstrate that the investigators failed to prevent suspicious activity. Zhao added that Binance processes transactions using third-party anti-money laundering screening tools also used by multiple law enforcement agencies.

Fortune reports that at least five investigators from Binance's investigative team have been dismissed since the end of 2025 after discovering transactions on the platform involving Iranian affiliates totaling over $1 billion. These transactions primarily occurred on the Tron blockchain, in the form of Tether's USDT stablecoin. The report also states that several senior compliance officers have left the company in recent months, and Binance is searching for a successor for its Chief Compliance Officer, Noah Perlman, who will be leaving later this year.