Binance makes fighting crypto crime more difficult, says new report

FinanceBinance makes fighting crypto crime more difficult, says new reportThe New York Times says a quiet change to Binance's compliance rules is forcing international law enforcement to navigate slow-moving government treaties to get user data.By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Jamie Crawley Jul 28, 2026, 12:24 p.m. 2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShowBinance has adopted a policy that routes most foreign law enforcement requests through the United Arab Emirates and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties, slowing access to user data, according to The New York Times.European investigators and U.S. prosecutors say the changes are making it harder to track scammers, combat money laundering and quickly freeze or seize assets, though Binance still responds directly in cases involving child sexual abuse, terrorism or imminent threats to life.Binance insists it has not reduced cooperation with authorities and frames the new procedures as stronger safeguards consistent with regulated institutions, even as the company faces ongoing scrutiny over its compliance operations.Binance adopted a policy in April 2025 that has made it harder for law enforcement agencies in some countries to obtain user information, The New York Times (NYT) reported Tuesday.The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange "changed how it cooperates with law enforcement in many countries around the world, frustrating investigators who say the company has made it harder to find scammers and combat money laundering," the NYT said.The NYT cited discussions that took place during a June law enforcement conference held in the Netherlands, where police officials from five European countries described difficulties obtaining information from Binance. The exchange still responded directly in cases involving child sexual abuse material, terrorism or an imminent threat to life, according to the report.Most other requests were being directe…

Binance makes fighting crypto crime more difficult, says new report

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