A recent report from Bloomberg has shed light on Binance’s latest efforts to refine its client base. It enhanced the screening process for prime brokerage clients to exclude US-based investors from its platform.
This move comes amidst increasing regulatory demands and the exchange’s endeavors to fortify its compliance framework.
Binance Intensifies Screening To Exclude US Investors
According to the report, Binance’s initiative to engage prime brokers such as FalconX and Hidden Road in this enhanced screening process underscores the exchange’s commitment to adhering to regulatory standards.
The directive to these prime brokers, who predominantly serve institutional investors, includes rigorous checks on the geographical locations of their client’s offices, founders, and employees.
This approach to client screening is part of Binance’s broader strategy to ensure that US investors are not served in line with regulatory expectations.
Meanwhile, as Binance navigates the complex regulatory environment, it has implemented stricter measures beyond client screening. Notably, the exchange has recently introduced more stringent requirements for listing new digital tokens.
As reported, this initiative aims to improve investor protection against fraudulent activities, such as “rug pulls,” and enhance oversight of token listings.
These measures include extending the “cliff period” during which tokens cannot be sold, mandating increased allocation of coins to market makers, and instituting security deposits.
Navigating Global Regulatory Challenges
While Binance’s efforts to strengthen its compliance framework in the US are notable, the exchange also faces regulatory headwinds in other jurisdictions.
In Nigeria, for example, the government has raised serious concerns, accusing the exchange of facilitating transactions that they allege have negatively impacted the national currency, the naira. This has placed Binance under the spotlight, leading to heightened scrutiny from Nigerian regulators.
The situation escalated, and the Nigerian authorities took decisive action against Binance’s operations within their borders. Two executives from Binance, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained in a government facility starting February 26, closely monitored by the Nigerian National Security Agency.
This move by the Nigerian government underscores the growing tension between Binance and regulatory bodies in its operating countries, spotlighting the broader challenges crypto exchanges face in maintaining compliance across diverse regulatory environments.
In addition to the detention of its executives, the Nigerian government has pressed the exchange to provide extensive transactional data on its top 100 users within the country.
Despite regulatory turbulence, the exchange native token, BNB, has sustained its trading value above the $500 mark. Despite a 6.1% dip in its price over the last 24 hours, BNB currently maintains its position, trading at $516 at the time of writing.
Featured image from Unsplash, Chart from TradingView