Binance Shared User Data With Russia: 2 Years After Exiting
Binance handed Russian investigators the identity and transaction records of Yuri Belenkiy, passport, address, phone, DOB. He was charged with terrorism financing over ~$700 in crypto donations to Ukrainian groups. Detained Sept 2025, still in jail.
Binance sold its Russia business to CommEX in Sept 2023 and declared a full exit. The data was still handed over in 2025.
Binance's stance: it complies with lawful law enforcement requests worldwide. No comment on the case.
The takeaway for traders:
▪️ Exchange KYC data survives a market exit
▪️ You don't choose which jurisdiction asks for it later
▪️ Custodial = your identity is attached to every move
▪️ Self-custody is counterparty risk management, not paranoia
Source: Reuters
Binance handed Russian investigators the identity and transaction records of Yuri Belenkiy, passport, address, phone, DOB. He was charged with terrorism financing over ~$700 in crypto donations to Ukrainian groups. Detained Sept 2025, still in jail.
Binance sold its Russia business to CommEX in Sept 2023 and declared a full exit. The data was still handed over in 2025.
Binance's stance: it complies with lawful law enforcement requests worldwide. No comment on the case.
The takeaway for traders:
▪️ Exchange KYC data survives a market exit
▪️ You don't choose which jurisdiction asks for it later
▪️ Custodial = your identity is attached to every move
▪️ Self-custody is counterparty risk management, not paranoia
Source: Reuters