A recent ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has denied a motion filed by the legal teams of Binance, Binance.US, and CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao. The motion aimed to stop the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from issuing public statements about their ongoing legal case, which the defense argues could “taint the jury pool” and introduce “unwarranted confusion into the marketplace.”
Judge Amy Berman Jackson argued that court intervention was unnecessary, stating that it is not apparent Court intervention is needed at this time nor is it necessary for the Court to get involved in wordsmithing the parties’ press releases.
This motion came after the SEC issued a press release on June 17 wherein enforcement director Gurbir Grewal claimed CZ and Binance could “commingle customer assets or divert customer assets as they please.” The legal teams for Binance and Binance.US claimed these statements were “misleading” and largely denied the allegations.
While the ruling denied the legal teams’ motion, Binance, Binance.US, and CZ are still facing a lawsuit filed by the SEC on June 5. The lawsuit alleges that the exchanges offered unregistered securities to U.S. customers, and Binance failed to register as an exchange or a broker-dealer clearing agency. The SEC originally filed a motion to freeze all Binance.US assets but ultimately reached a compromise agreement in which only the exchange’s employees would have access to client funds.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings in the United States, Binance has continued its global operations, announcing the launch of a regulated crypto platform in Kazakhstan on June 20. However, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) ordered the exchange to halt offering crypto exchange and custody wallet services on June 23, and Binance reportedly withdrew its application with Austria’s financial regulatory authority.
In conclusion, while the lawsuit against Binance, Binance.US, and CZ remains ongoing with the SEC, their recent loss in the motion to stop the SEC from issuing public statements about the case is not seen as a significant setback by the judge. The outcome of the lawsuit and its potential impact on the exchanges and their leadership is yet to be determined, with both parties presenting their sides in the legal battle.
Source: Cointelegraph
