Update, March 11, 1:00 pm UTC: This article has been updated to add a statement by Binance that the exchange filed a defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal.
Binance said Wednesday it is suing the Wall Street Journal after the newspaper reported that the US Justice Department was investigating whether Iran used the crypto exchange to evade US sanctions.
Binance filed a defamation lawsuit against the Journal in the Southern District of New York, seeking damages and legal fees, and demanding a jury trial.
Binance told Cointelegraph it was not aware of any Justice Department investigation and said it continued to cooperate with regulators and law enforcement. “As always, we are collaborating with regulators and law enforcement to investigate the facts,” the spokesperson said.
The suit came shortly after the Journal reported Wednesday that the DOJ was 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 report cited company documents and people familiar with the matter.
The DOJ had not confirmed an investigation into Iran’s alleged use of Binance to avoid US sanctions at the time of publication.
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