DOJ probes Iran’s alleged use of Binance to evade US sanctions: WSJ

The US Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Iran’s use of Binance for alleged sanctions evasion.

The DOJ is investigating whether Iran used Binance to evade US sanctions and whether transactions on the exchange helped route funds to networks linked to Iran-backed groups, including Yemen’s Houthi militants, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter.

The WSJ said it remains unclear whether the DOJ is investigating Binance itself, its users, or both. Officials have contacted people with knowledge of the transactions to seek interviews and gather evidence, the report said.

The probe follows earlier reporting that Binance dismantled an internal investigation into roughly $1 billion that flowed through the platform to a network tied to Iranian proxy groups.

The DOJ had not confirmed the investigation at the time of publication. Binance did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.

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US Senate Democrats launched a probe in February, and Binance has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Binance pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating US anti-money-laundering and sanctions laws, paying a $4.3 billion fine and agreeing to operate under US oversight.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao pleaded guilty to related charges and spent four months in jail in 2024. In October 2025, CZ received a pardon from US President Donald Trump.

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