Talk:Binance

History request

Hello, KB from Binance here. I'd like to make a small request for the History section.

• Update "The company is also seeking registration in more European countries, such as Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and Austria." to say "At the time, the company was also seeking registration in more European countries, such as Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and Austria. Binance registered to operate in Spain in July 2022, and in Sweden in January 2023.

• This change will improve the article by replacing future looking language with past tense language for events that have already occurred, and add the outcome for Spain and Sweden.

References

Let me know if you have any questions. Because I have a conflict of interest, I will not directly make changes to the article. Thanks for taking a look. KB at Binance (talk) 09:38, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

 Done ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 15:31, 11 January 2024 (UTC)

@ARandomName123: Thank you very much! I've posted another request below in case you'd like to have a look. Thanks again, KB at Binance (talk) 17:02, 12 January 2024 (UTC)

Build'N'Build request

Hello, KB from Binance back with another request.

• Change the Binance coin (BNB) section to Build'N'Build, and in that same section change "Binance Coin" to "Build'N'Build".

• As noted in the article and the box with info on the coin, this was rebranded to Build'N'Build.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 17:02, 12 January 2024 (UTC)

@KB at Binance: Do you have a date for the rebrand? I feel that this would be helpful for readers to know. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 17:08, 12 January 2024 (UTC)

And an WP:RS please. We dont do PR things like re-branding unless the RS actually care about it. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 07:43, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

 Not done for now: Until concerns are addressed. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 21:10, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

@ARandomName123 and Jtbobwaysf: I appreciate the replies. My thoughts on each below.

• Date of the change: The name was changed in February, 2022 (see Yahoo! Finance in the references below).
• Reliable Sources: As of now, the live article says "BSC later merged with the older Binance Chain and was rebranded into BNB chain." are additional sources needed? I know that the source from Binance itself is not ideal, but what about Yahoo! Finance?

References

I think it would be clearer to readers if we can make the naming consistent. Let me know if you have other questions or thoughts. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 15:31, 23 January 2024 (UTC)

 Done ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 19:51, 28 January 2024 (UTC)

@ARandomName123: Thanks so much! I've posted a few more suggestions for this section below, if you're available to review. KB at Binance (talk) 09:49, 31 January 2024 (UTC)

• I removed the corporate blog post from the article, that is not an WP:RS for this article. We are more strict on cryptocurrency articles due to promotion. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 09:59, 31 January 2024 (UTC)

Additional Build'N'Build requests

Hi, I'd like to make a couple more suggestions for the Build'N'Build section of this article. As a reminder, I work for Binance, so I do not make direct changes.

• After the first sentence in this section, add "BUSD was launched in partnership with the company Paxos."

• This is to add clarity and bring it inline with the section on BUSD, so both confirm the same thing.

• Change "It has 21 approved validators." to "BNB had 44 validators as of October 2022."

• This updates the figure, adds a timestamp so readers will know when the information was accurate, and adds Reuters as a source.

• Change "As of 2021, Binance Coin was the cryptocurrency with the third highest market capitalization." to "As of 2021, Build'n'Build was the cryptocurrency with the third highest market capitalization."

• To keep naming consistent per previous discussion.

• In the final sentence, change "Binance Smart Chain" to "BNB Smart Chain"

• To keep naming consistent per previous discussion.

References

Please let me know if you have questions, I am happy to discuss these suggestions. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 09:49, 31 January 2024 (UTC)

• I dont think the term Build'n'Build is broadly used in the sources and we should continue to use BNB as it is much more prevent. Seems like a PR attempt to widely use this new and relatively unheard of term. In fact who cares what BNB means, it might be changed again to mean something in the future. It might be due in some sort of history section, eg 'from these years BNB meant x and since another year it means Build'n'Build.' I changed the section to the name BNB. We can see that this BNB chain has undergone multiple re-brands, this fxempire source says it was earlier called Binance coin and now there is a PR push to assert that BNB is not binance, it is BuildNBuild. For me big whatever, we normally dont support this type of PR posturing. Its due to include in the article the posturing, but lets not give excessive weight to it. BNB is in itself a notable term. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 06:27, 2 February 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: I appreciate the response, and understand your concern. My thinking was that it might confuse readers to use "Binance coin" in the article after it says its name was changed. Here's another idea that I think would address your concerns, the potential confusion, and make sense for the section's flow:

• Move "In February 2022, BSC merged with the older Binance Chain and was rebranded into Build'N'Build (BNB)." to the bottom of the paragraph, which would put it in chronological order.

Also curious to hear if you have thoughts on the other parts of this request? On second glance, I wonder if it would make sense to remove mention of BUSD from this section, since it's redundant to the BUSD section?

Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 07:32, 2 February 2024 (UTC)

Is there are difference between BSC and BNB? BSC was Binance Smart Chain before right? And BNB was what? Binance coin or was it Binance Bi (币)? Lot of jargon here, indeed might be good to clean it up. Did these two coins merge BSC and BNB? Was there ever a separately traded BSC token? Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 09:01, 2 February 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Good questions, and I agree that there's a lot of jargon and technical detail here. I'll try my hand at a broader rewrite and cleanup and flag you when I have something to share. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 09:18, 7 February 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Hi, I've come up with the following suggestion for rewriting the BNB section. I've tried to cut back on jargon and reduce how many acronyms are flying around. You asked about the difference between BNB and BSC, the short answer is that BNB has always been the acronym for the token (Binance Coin, not Build'N'Build) and BSC was the acronym for Binance Smart Chain, which merged with Binance Chain when everything was renamed in 2022. I couldn't find anything that looked like a reliable source that went into that much depth, so I kept it simple and didn't mention the two chains merging, and removed protocols and the Ethereum virtual machine. Lastly, I started the section off with a summary sentence, which I thought made sense as a setup before launching into the history.

Build'N'Build (BNB) is a digital asset that's used as a utility token on the BNB chain. It was originally called Binance Coin when it was launched in July 2017, for users to pay fees on the company's platform. By 2021, Binance Coin had the third highest market capitalization among cryptocurrencies. The token was initially on the Ethereum network, then moved to Binance Smart Chain when it was released in September 2020. In February 2022, the company changed the token's name to Build'N'Build. At that time, Binance Smart Chain was also renamed to BNB Chain. BNB Chain had previously been criticized for being overly centralized, which had led to several exploits on the network. BNB had 44 validators as of October 2022.

References

Happy to hear feedback and ideas for improvement. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 07:45, 16 February 2024 (UTC)

• BUSD partnership: Not done for now I'm a bit confused as to why this bears mention in the section on BNB?
• Validator count:  Already done
• Market capitalization:  Partly done changed to BNB per above.
• BNB Smart Chain:  Done I'm less sure about this. Quite a few sources seem to be using the new name. Non-insignificant amount don't though.

Snowmanonahoe (talk · contribs · typos) 16:40, 29 April 2024 (UTC)

Can you please help to clarify more (if possible) is there still a Binance Coin and/or Binance Smart Chain? Have these been merged? It sounds like the coin was running on ethereum and then moved to smart chain? Then today what is going on? Is there still a coin and/or smart chain? Or are they now the same thing (BuildNBuild)? Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 07:54, 16 February 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Happy to answer these questions.

• Is there still a Binance Coin and/or Binance Smart Chain? Have these been merged?
  • Binance Coin was fully rebranded to Build'N'Build (BNB), and the Binance Smart Chain was merged with the Binance Chain to become BNB Chain. I could not find a RS to verify that the two chains merged.
• It sounds like the coin was running on ethereum and then moved to smart chain?
  • Correct, the coin moved from Ethereum to the Binance Smart Chain (now part of BNB Chain). I have that in the draft above, but let me know if you think I can make it clearer. Here's what it says right now: "The token was initially on the Ethereum network, then moved when Binance released the Binance Smart Chain[3] in September 2020.[4]"
• Then today what is going on? Is there still a coin and/or smart chain? Or are they now the same thing (BuildNBuild)?
  • Today, there are two things. BNB Chain is the network, and Build'N'Build the coin (more commonly referred to as simply BNB) is the network's utility token and native currency.

Does that all make sense? I know it's a bit confusing with the shared name. The sources that go into detail are all cryptocurrency news outlets, so I can show you those if it will help clarify, but didn't want to suggest them.

Thanks! KB at Binance (talk) 10:19, 22 February 2024 (UTC)

• I made a change above to cleanup one sentence, to try to improve the syntax. Also generally we prefer not to have sources in the middle of sentences. People do it, but it is not suggested. I suspect the reason for the chain renaming is PR purposes, not anything related to decentralization. So that sentence should probably be removed unless we have strong sources for that. Comments? Jtbobwaysf (talk) 06:22, 1 March 2024 (UTC) I also removed the decentralization claim, as it sounded PR-wise. I think I am ok with it the way it is. If you are ok with it, feel free to implement it on the mainspace. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 09:01, 2 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: This makes sense, I see why mentioning the decentralization doesn't fit here with the sources we have to work with. I have made the change as you approved, please let me know if anything doesn't look right. Thanks again for all of your feedback, KB at Binance (talk) 06:07, 7 March 2024 (UTC)

Introduction balance

Hi, KB at Binance here. I have a request for the introduction of this article. I noticed that the introduction has had several lawsuits added to it, some of which are also covered in the article body and the most recent of which is not. From my reading of WP:LEAD, I think the introduction has become unbalanced. I propose the following changes:

• Replace paragraphs two and three, which are all content that is also covered in the article body, with the following summary of Binance's legal history:

Binance has been the subject of lawsuits and challenges from regulatory authorities throughout its operating area. As a result, Binance has been banned from operating or ordered to cease operations in some countries, and has been issued fines. It has been alleged that Binance could be used as a funding mechanism for terrorist groups. In November 2023, the company pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to money laundering, unlicensed money transmitting, and sanctions violations.

• Move paragraph four into History. This content is only covered in the introduction at this time, and it is summarized in the suggested content above.

I am interested in hearing thoughts from other editors on these changes, and any ideas for improving the introduction's balance. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 08:33, 6 March 2024 (UTC)

The lead always summarizes and doesnt introduce content that is not in the article body. So yes, if it meets this criteria should be moved to the body. I just moved those two issues out of the lead and into the body. Are they covered already in the body? Yes, we should just summarize in the lead, your summary looks fine to me. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 07:09, 7 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Okay great! Appreciate you starting the move process. There are now two paragraphs that cover the November 2023 plea in 2020–2023: acquisitions and investments what do you think of removing one of those? As for the paragraph still in the introduction, yes it is all covered elsewhere in the article. The US and UK cases are both covered in their respective subsections of Legal Status, and the sentence about Russia is mentioned in the seventh paragraph of 2020–2023: acquisitions and investments. Hope that helps, happy to answer other questions. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 16:52, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

From my position putting every legal case in the lead is undue, so I would also be ok to summarize the lead. Binance has faced regulatory issues in almost every venue, so particular bans and chases are not due the lead in my opinion. I suppose if CZ is sentenced to due prison time, that might change, but otherwise not so much. Every crypto exchange that I know of has or is facing regulatory issues in the US particularly, so I dont see what is encyclopedic here. You can go ahead and merge those two paragraphs in the body and just ping me and I will a look at it when you are done. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 21:35, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: We're in agreement on how content should be summarized. I appreciate your approval of the changes, but I wonder if you'd implement them? The BNB changes seemed pretty non-controversial, but since this deals with content about legal matters, I feel like with my COI it's best if I stay completely hands-off with making the change. I could prepare markup for you, if that's helpful? Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 14:23, 14 March 2024 (UTC)

Yes, could you please prepare a proposed change? Sometimes I think a diff is an easy way to do that, such as making a change on the article (all at once in one edit) and then immediately self reverting that. I often do that when I am going to propose an RFC on something, so that I can post the diff on the talk page. Anyhow, if you are not comfortable to do that as well, you can just put it here. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 07:25, 15 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Sure thing. I found Template:Text diff and it seems pretty perfect for this. See the diffs in the collapse box below:

Diffs

Introduction − In 2021, Binance was put under investigation by both the [[United States Department of Justice]] and [[Internal Revenue Service]] on allegations of [[money laundering]] and tax offenses. The UK's [[Financial Conduct Authority]] ordered Binance to stop all regulated activity in the United Kingdom in June 2021. That same year, Binance shared client data, including names and addresses, with the Russian government. + Binance has been the subject of lawsuits and challenges from regulatory authorities throughout its operating area. As a result, Binance has been banned from operating or ordered to cease operations in some countries, and has been issued fines. It has been alleged that Binance could be used as a funding mechanism for terrorist groups. In November 2023, the company pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to money laundering, unlicensed money transmitting, and sanctions violations. Notes: All of the removed text is covered elsewhere in the article, as discussed here. 2020–2023: acquisitions and investments − In July 2023, several senior executives resigned from the company. ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that Binance had cut its global workforce by as many as 1,000 staff. CNBC reported that the number of staff cuts could total 3,000 by the end of 2023. Zhao didn't deny layoffs were occurring but claimed both the reported numbers and the reasons for the senior executive departures weren't accurate. In June 2023 Binance had 790 million US dollars in outflows after the SEC announced its lawsuit and Forbes reported that the company had 120 million users globally. On November 21, 2023, US authorities convicted Binance on multiple charges—including violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and vast money laundering schemes. As part of the plea deal, Changpeng Zhao stepped down as CEO with a $50 million fine. The position is succeeded by Richard Teng and will pay $4 billion in fines. On November 21, 2023, Binance pleaded guilty to federal charges in the U.S., admitting that it engaged in money laundering, unlicensed money transmitting, and sanctions violations; and has agreed to pay over $4 billion in fines. + In July 2023, several senior executives resigned from the company. ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that Binance had cut its global workforce by as many as 1,000 staff. CNBC reported that the number of staff cuts could total 3,000 by the end of 2023. Zhao didn't deny layoffs were occurring but claimed both the reported numbers and the reasons for the senior executive departures weren't accurate. In June 2023 Binance had 790 million US dollars in outflows after the SEC announced its lawsuit and Forbes reported that the company had 120 million users globally. On November 21, 2023, US authorities convicted Binance on multiple charges—including violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, money laundering schemes, unlicensed money transmitting, and sanctions violations. As part of the plea deal, the company agreed to pay $4 billion in fines, and Changpeng Zhao stepped down as CEO with a $50 million fine. Zhao was succeeded by [[Richard Teng]]. Notes: The two paragraphs were pretty close, with some minor differences, so I consolidated the two together.

References
References

Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 11:45, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

Looks perfect, please implement the change on the mainspace. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 23:31, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Thanks for reviewing, I have implemented the changes. Would you mind taking a quick look to make sure it's all good and then closing this request? KB at Binance (talk) 08:45, 20 March 2024 (UTC)

I agree with the changes made. I have removed the COI template, as I think that is how I close this request. If not, please let me know. I also wanted to note that the bot did show up after your edit and deal with some references that you (i'm assuming inadvertently) deleted. Next time, please have a look and be sure the references you are are deleting are not used other places in the article. Thank you and happy editing! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 08:08, 21 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Appreciate it, and thanks for the reminder about the sources. For other requests, the template has been changed to answered, so I added the template back on and marked it completed. Thanks so much for the time and reviews! KB at Binance (talk) 12:52, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

Perfect, I see you added "|ans=y". Awesome, now i know how to close those. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 19:41, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: I did, thank you for double-checking the changes. I opened a new request below and am always interested in hearing your thoughts. KB at Binance (talk) 13:18, 28 March 2024 (UTC)

In the future, please do not make these edits yourself, even with "permission". Claiming WP:LOCALCONSENSUS for the addition of naked whitewashing and PR is inappropriate, and this was a good demonstration of why COI editing is frowned upon and causes so much damage to Wikipedia. It also demonstrates how COI editing causes hassles and inconvenience to good-faith editors who have to spend time cleaning up this kind of garbage. Grayfell (talk) 23:38, 3 May 2024 (UTC)

@Grayfell: I explicitly asked the COI editor to implement the changes. Is that a violation of policy? If it is, please let me know so I wont do it again. Sometimes these COI editors are helpful in making changes, happy to have more eyes on this (eg you). At least this editor has identified themselves as a COI editor and is following the process, for me that is good. Do you have objection to some specific edits? Thanks Jtbobwaysf (talk) 11:36, 4 May 2024 (UTC)

I think I made my objections perfectly clear. The entire thing reads more like PR whitewashing than a neutral enccylopedia. Wikipedia is not a platform for this, as everyone here hopefully already knows. Yes, the lead should be a summary, but what does and does not belong in such a summary should not be determined by how unflattering it is to the company itself. Grayfell (talk) 19:14, 4 May 2024 (UTC)

@Grayfell: You have made your objections clear but not the policy that you appear to allege I violated. I do not support whitewashing on this article and have objected to some of the changes proposed, but when I saw no issues, asked the editor to implement themself out of expediency and normally the editor has pinged me to let me know they have done so and I have taken a look. This is the largest global exchange and aside from highlighting the legal issues, it still is the largest in the space. As far as I have read (my OR) nearly every exchange has faced legal issues, so controversy is nothing novel. Please change whatever you feel has been whitewashed. Regardless, KB at Binance (talk · contribs) please wait for others to implement your suggested changes going forward. Apologies for any confusion I may have caused. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 23:12, 4 May 2024 (UTC)

As Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure makes clear, Wikipedia and Wikimedia takes paid editing very seriously. This is in part because it has caused so much damage to the project in the past (see Conflict-of-interest editing on Wikipedia for just a tiny sample of these problems). Per Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure#Conflict of interest guideline (and other polices), paid editors are strongly discouraged from from directly editing affected articles. There are so, so, so many reasons for this. I do not accept that expediency is a valid excuse. Grayfell (talk) 20:39, 5 May 2024 (UTC)

Thanks, I see Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure#Conflict of interest guideline and the COI editor (KB) has to my knowledge only put the content only after discussing on this talk page, with my explicit approval, and generally I have subsequently reviewed. However, as noted in my previous message I wont ask this editor (nor any other COI editor) to make the edits themself anymore after approval on the talk page. I suggest KB also ping you in the future when they are waiting for content approval/comments/additions so that you may assist as well. Would that be ok with you? Two eyes are always better than one. Again apologies for any confusion I may have caused. I would also like to again reiterate that I do not support whitewashing and have not participated in that here. You might disagree with the edits themselves, and if that is the case please raise those and we can discuss. I think there is plenty of discussion on this talk page already about the edits (since the COI editor is involved) and it should be quite clear what was edited and for what reason. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 00:02, 6 May 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf and Grayfell: I'll be sure to let reviewing editors implement approved changes to avoid any confusion, and will continue to use the edit request queue and am happy to discuss my proposed changes here on the Talk page. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 08:51, 9 May 2024 (UTC)

Legal status updates

Hi, KB here from Binance. I have some suggestions to make for the Legal status section, which I noticed is a bit out of date. I'd like to suggest adding the content below to bring the section current as possible using reliable sources. For jurisdictions with more coverage, I've included them as their own subsections, and an "Others" subsection for those with less coverage but mentions in reliable sources:

Extended content

Indonesia In Indonesia, Binance owns TokoCrypto, a company registered with the local regulator to carry out cryptocurrency activities. Singapore In 2019, Binance Asia Services (BAS) began operating a local exchange in Singapore, Binance.sg, under a temporary exemption from the country's regulators while its application was under review. Binance.sg eventually withdrew its application and ceased operations by February 13, 2022. The Binance group of companies remained present in the country, focusing on innovation, incubation, and funding programs there. Other locations Binance also has regulatory approval or license to operate in the following locations: Lithuania Poland Spain Sweden Kazakhstan Abu Dhabi Bahrain Dubai New Zealand References

• One other request, would editors agree to update the Thailand section to note that the exchange there opened in January 2024, per this Reuters article?

Feedback and thoughts are appreciated, I'm happy to discuss these changes with editors. Thanks for taking a look, KB at Binance (talk) 12:53, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

I think the list of countries should probably be in prose, and not a bulleted list. One issue I have is that we normally done do this type of WP:NOTDIR type of content. Binance is essentially a global exchange and operates with or without explicit regulatory approval just about everywhere, so I don't see it is due from a long term perspective to add every country to this article. Is there some other way we can add this to prose to make it encyclopedic? I just dont think a list of regulatory approvals is due here. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 06:04, 31 March 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Good point on not letting this become a laundry list of regulatory approvals. Looking at the whole section as it is, do you think it would make sense to reorganize the whole Legal status section into subsections grouped either by continent or major geographic region? I think if we did that, each subsection could have subsubsections on countries that have had major coverage, and otherwise could have a couple of paragraphs summarizing activity in that region. Let me know what you think, I'd be glad to mock something up for you to review. Thanks! KB at Binance (talk) 14:21, 5 April 2024 (UTC)

Our approach here at wikipedia is to build an encyclopedia and we have a strong preference for prose and context. We want to tell a story of the past. To make a hypothetical (and probably untrue) example, say Kenya one day arrested a binance employee at the airport, two years later approved the exchange, and then a year later revoked the exchange's approval would make a great sentence (or two sentences). It tells a story. As opposed to a list of every location that binance is either legal or illegal, which while it might be appropriate for binance's corporate website or blog, it is just not the way we structure things here. I support your proposal to create organizations by region, I think it is logical approach to this type of issue. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 07:04, 6 April 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: That all makes sense to me. I'll get to work on reorganizing the section, focusing on prose and context. I'll tag you when it's ready for review. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 14:35, 10 April 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: Hi, thanks for your patience. Here's what I've come up with for a reorganization. Have a look and let me know what you think. Throughout the section, I've tried to improve sources and make changes for clarity and neutrality. If it would be helpful, I can make a diff showing them.

• This is more of a question, but I didn't include Kazakhstan, Poland, and Cyprus, because the sources were only passing mentions. Do you think they should be incorporated in some way?

Extended content

Legal status== Africa and the Middle East=== In June 2023, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission ordered Binance to cease operations in Nigeria. The Commission determined that a Binance subsidiary had not registered with the agency and was illegally soliciting investments in the country. United Arab Emirates ==== Binance received a provisional license to operate in Abu Dhabi in April 2022. Binance received a license to operate in Bahrain in March 2022, the first license granted by a country in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Binance received a provisional license to operate in Dubai in March 2022 and a full license in July 2023. In April 2024, Binance received an upgraded license allowing it to engage in retail cryptocurrency trading. Asia and Oceania=== In Indonesia, Binance owns TokoCrypto, a company registered with the local regulator to carry out cryptocurrency activities. Japan's Financial Services Agency warned consumers in 2018 and 2021 that Binance was conducting unauthorized trades in the country. Binance purchased Sakura in November 2022, allowing the company to enter the Japanese market, and in August 2023 launched an exchange in the country. Binance received license to operate in New Zealand in September 2022. The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission ordered internet service providers to bar users from accessing Binance in March 2024 following the agency finding that the company was operating in the country without a license in 2023. The agency also asked Google and Meta to bar Binance advertisements for Filipino users. In April 2023, Binance asked the Australian Securities & Investments Commission to cancel the financial services license of subsidiary Oztures Trading Party/Binance Australia Derivatives, which the agency did that month. In May 2023, Cuscal revoked Binance's access to PayID, which prevented clients from making deposits using the service, and Westpac barred its customers from making transactions with the exchange. Following recommendations from Financial Intelligence Unit—India, the Indian government blocked access to the websites of nine cryptocurrency exchanges in January 2024, including Binance, citing failure to appropriately register, comply with local tax rules, and follow the rules set out in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. In 2019, Binance Asia Services (BAS) began operating a local exchange in Singapore, Binance.sg, under a temporary exemption from the country's regulators while its application was under review. Binance.sg eventually withdrew its application and ceased operations by 13 February 2022. The Binance group of companies remained present in the country, focusing on innovation, incubation, and funding programs there. The Thai: Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission in Thailand filed a criminal complaint against Binance in 2021 for operating in the country without a license. A joint venture between Binance and Sarath Ratanavadi, Gulf Binance, received regulatory approval to open an exchange in Thailand, which opened in January 2024. Europe=== Binance registered to operate in Spain in July 2022. Binance received permission to operate in Sweden in January 2023. In June 2023, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority ordered Binance to immediately end its virtual currency operations in Belgium because it was providing the same services to countries outside the European Economic Area. France became the first European country to grant Binance permission to operate in its borders in May 2022. The following year, French authorities opened an investigation into the company for money laundering and offering its services prior to receiving authorization. In April 2021, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority warned Binance that it risked fines for not releasing a prospectus for the stock tokens it issued. In July 2021, Italy's Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa warned consumers that Binance was not authorized to operate in the country. It registered with the Organismo degli Agenti e dei Mediatori in May 2022, allowing the company to operate in Italy. Binance incorporated in Lithuania in 2020, registering as a virtual currency exchange that does not hold or issue funds for clients. It relaunched its Lithuanian affiliate as Bifinity in March 2022. The company also registered Bincance Custody, a digital wallet storage company, in Lithuania in 2021. The Dutch central bank fined Binance US$3.4 million in July 2022 for operating in the Netherlands without the appropriate registration. Binance ceased operations in the Netherlands in June 2023 after the bank denied the company a license to operate. In January 2021, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority began requiring firms dealing with cryptoassets to register in order to comply with anti-money laundering rules. In June 2021, Binance was ordered by the FCA to stop all regulated activity in the United Kingdom. In June 2023, the FCA canceled unused permissions granted to Binance Markets Limited, meaning the company “can no longer provide regulated activities and products” in the UK. North America=== Canada==== In June 2021, Binance announced it would end operations in Ontario following increased provincial regulation. In March 2022, Binance told the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) that it would stop opening new accounts and halt trading on existing accounts in the province. Following new regulations announced by the Canadian Securities Administrators in February 2023 which required cryptocurrency exchanges to register with the agency, Binance left the Canadian market. The company announced its exit in May 2023. That month, OSC opened an investigation into the company's conduct while operating in Ontario. United States==== In 2019, Binance barred clients in the United States from creating new accounts on Binance.com due to regulatory concerns, and launched Binance.US for American clients. Bloomberg News reported in May 2021 the company was under investigation by officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service involved in investigations related to money laundering and tax violations. Bloomberg reported in June 2022 that the Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into Binance's initial coin offering in 2017 and Changpeng Zhao involvement with Binance.US. Binance.US announced plans to purchase Voyager Digital's assets in December 2022 and called off the purchase in April 2023, citing a "a hostile and uncertain regulatory environment". Arkham Intelligence provided data in January 2023 that identified “an alleged nexus of money laundering” from Bitzlato through intermediate wallets of Binance. Over the course of several years, it was found that the intermediary wallet deposited $15 million worth of crypto onto Binance’s platform. In February 2023, Reuters reported that over the first three months of 2021, Binance transferred over $404 million from a Binance.US account at Silvergate Bank to Merit Peak Ltd., a company managed by Zhao. Catherine Coley, then-CEO of Binance US, was quoted in messages to another Binance executive saying that "no one mentioned" the "unexpected" transfers. Coley left Binance.US shortly thereafter. Reuters said the transfers called into question the purported independence of Binance.US from Binance.com. A Binance.US spokesperson said the Reuters report used "outdated information" without further elaboration. On 1 March 2023, US Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, and Roger Marshall wrote a letter to Binance describing the exchange as "a hotbed of illegal financial activity that has facilitated over $10 billion in payments to criminals and sanctions evaders." The letter formally requested documents related to Binance's compliance with regulations. On 27 March 2023, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a lawsuit against Binance and Zhao in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claiming willful evasion of US law and allegedly breaching derivatives rules. The agency accused Binance of breaking rules intended to thwart money laundering operations, pointing to internal communications describing transactions by Palestinian militant organization Hamas, and suspected criminals, with the company's money laundering reporting officer allegedly remarking "we see the bad, but we close 2 eyes". In April 2023, three unidentified trading firms cited as "VIP" clients of Binance were revealed to be Radix Trading, Jane Street Capital and Tower Research Capital. In June 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it was suing Binance and Zhao on 13 charges for alleged violations of US securities rules. On September 12, 2023, Binance.US announced the resignation of CEO Brian Shroder and a reduction of the exchange’s workforce by around 100 positions, roughly one-third of its total staff. Binance.US cited the SEC’s civil suit as “an unfortunate example” of the agency’s “aggressive attempts to cripple our industry.” In October 2023, coinciding with the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Binance and Tether were described as a source of terrorist funding by US senator Cynthia Lummis and US Representative French Hill, with a letter calling for the Department of Justice to crack down on the exchange. In November 2023, Binance agreed to plead guilty to violating American anti-money laundering rules and pay a $4.3 billion fine. Zhao agreed to pay a $50 million fine and step down as CEO of the company, but was allowed to maintain his ownership as part of the deal. As of November 2023, New York, Texas, Vermont, and Hawaii barred Binance.US from conducting business in those states.

Let me know if you have other thoughts on improvements. KB at Binance (talk) 09:09, 30 April 2024 (UTC)

I would suggest this to be merged into prose. Mostly we dont need the sub-sections when it is a sentence. For sure we need a section on the US, as there is so much coverage. I edited some of your suggestions above (hope that is ok with you), feel free to edit again as you see fit. The logic behind my edits was to do away with the small sub-sections, trying to keep a sub-section when it was large enough coverage to make it due for a section. I might have left some sections and merged other sections when you think they should be stand alone, so feel free to let me know. I just wanted to do something to give an example. I used paragraphs to separate counties in some cases when it seemed there was at least two sentences. If just one sentence, it should probably be merged into another paragraph. I also didn't fully merge the Emirates, but that should probably be done. Not a big reason in my opinion to have different sentences for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I think they are pretty much one and the same. Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 10:44, 30 April 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf: I think we're on the right track here. @Grayfell, Snowmanonahoe, and ARandomName123: Per Jtbobwaysf and Grayfell's conversation in Talk:Binance#Introduction balance, I'm flagging the three of you here since you've all been active on this page recently and might be interested in joining this discussion.

Changes I made to the draft above:

• Added a subheading for UAE and moved it below Nigeria so it didn't look like Nigeria was in the UAE subsection.
• I removed the paragraph on WazirX because it is redundant to what's already in the History section, and I think it fits better there since it's not really about a "legal status". Does that make sense?
• If editors agree with only mentioning WazirX in History, it seems unnecessary to keep a subheading for India so I removed that, too.

That's all. Other than those changes, I think this looks good. Appreciate the help! KB at Binance (talk) 11:59, 10 May 2024 (UTC)

I have modified the formatting of the proposal to facilitate editing on the talk page and to make sure this is eventually archived correctly. This formatting would not belong on the article itself, only this talk page.

I do not accept that removing the information on India is appropriate. It appears to be intentionally whitewashing the article to downplay issues related to money laundering. Since Wikipedia isn't a platform for promotion or public relations, this proposal is not on "the right track". I also notice that the Canada information should be updated. Grayfell (talk) 17:53, 10 May 2024 (UTC)

@KB at Binance: I agree with Grayfell. Currently, all the history section says of WazirX is In November 2019, Binance announced it was acquiring Indian bitcoin exchange WazirX, which became disputed in August 2022 when Binance founder Zhao claimed the deal was never signed. The subheading for India contains much more information that should be kept. I have not reviewed any other proposed edits, so I have no opinion on whether a subheading for UAE is neccessary. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 01:58, 11 May 2024 (UTC)

My suggestion for updating here was to try to reduce the huge number of sub-sections as it is an WP:MOS issue. It was not to remove content from each subsection. If we have a country where there is a extended news, we could do a subsection (for example US is a lot of news). But when the sub-section just says 'it is legal here' or some other nonsense, it should not be a subsection and is starting to be WP:NOTDIR (so we should merge to prose with other news-lite countries). Jtbobwaysf (talk) 05:01, 11 May 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf, ARandomName123, and Grayfell: I appreciate all the responses. And thank you for fixing the formatting, Grayfell.

• Regarding India and the block related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act: in my draft I split content on that into its own paragraph, which is still there. That is information that makes sense to have in the Legal status section.
• Regarding WazirX: After taking another look, I think ARandomName123 is right that the paragraph about that in Legal status is better. In that case, I'd suggest combining the two paragraphs on WazirX either in History or in Legal status. Would that be a reasonable alternative? I have no issue with there being content about WazirX in the article. My goal is to improve the organization and it seemed to me like having paragraphs about that in two separate sections is confusing and harder to maintain.

Happy to continue this discussion. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 16:01, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

@KB at Binance: I'm fine with that alternative. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 16:13, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I'm sure you are "happy" to continue this discussion, because unlike us, you are paid to have this discussion and drag this out as long as necessary. Your requests are a drain to this volunteer project, stop the condescending business cliches.

I maintain that your proposal whitewashed the content on India, and your proposal doesn't even mention "WazirX" at all. Yes, the article does need to be reorganized, but it is better to have a neutral article which is slightly disorganized than it is to have a promotional article that is superficially tidy. Grayfell (talk) 18:50, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I too am fine with combining, there is no good reason for the content to be mentioned twice is an article. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 22:11, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Fine with what, exactly? This is too vague to be actionable. The article needs to be reorganized, but KB at Binance is not qualified to oversee that reorganization. As I mentioned back in November, downplaying these issues by tucking them away is not appropriate and will not gain consensus. Grayfell (talk) 22:48, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

• @Grayfell: see you are adding legal notes status to the history section. So this bears the question, do we even need a legal status section? How about we merge history and legal? 'x legal thing occurred in 2018, then in 2019 y occurred, then 2020 z occurred.' If we keep separate, then how to separate? Thanks! Jtbobwaysf (talk) 04:26, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

What I added to the history section would not belong in the legal status section. For one thing, pig butchering scams are an international issue. For another, it is not yet clear if the WSJ's finding will have any legal ramifications, nor is it self-evident what those ramifications would be.

I agree that the legal status status section is messy. This was a gradual process. Back in Jan. 2022, the section only had four subheadings, which was reasonable. I do not accept that the proposed COI replacement actually addresses this issue. Both the article and the proposal are bloated and also missing some important context. Fixing these issues will take more work than that, unfortunately. Grayfell (talk) 05:45, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

We are not going to be adding general content relating to pig butchering scams to the binance article unless they relate to a historical event. Cryptocurrency, bitcoin, gift cards, etc are used for pig butchering, if binance was used, it will have date and event in the source. Jtbobwaysf (talk) 21:53, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

@Jtbobwaysf, ARandomName123, and Grayfell: I've done my best here to follow the rules for COI editors, post suggestions, and engage with editors. That will remain my plan going forward. I don't expect editors to agree with all of my proposed changes, but I do believe that's the reason for having a consensus-based system where anyone can voluntarily participate in a good faith discussion. It seems to me we all agree that the article's organization could be improved.

Below, I've included an updated version of the reorganized Legal status section we've been discussing here, which has the WazirX paragraph added back in and combined with the paragraph from History. Ultimately, I'll defer to volunteer editors on what exactly the article should say.

Extended content

Legal status== Africa and the Middle East=== In June 2023, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission ordered Binance to cease operations in Nigeria. The Commission determined that a Binance subsidiary had not registered with the agency and was illegally soliciting investments in the country. United Arab Emirates ==== Binance received a provisional license to operate in Abu Dhabi in April 2022. Binance received a license to operate in Bahrain in March 2022, the first license granted by a country in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Binance received a provisional license to operate in Dubai in March 2022 and a full license in July 2023. In April 2024, Binance received an upgraded license allowing it to engage in retail cryptocurrency trading. Asia and Oceania=== In Indonesia, Binance owns TokoCrypto, a company registered with the local regulator to carry out cryptocurrency activities. Japan's Financial Services Agency warned consumers in 2018 and 2021 that Binance was conducting unauthorized trades in the country. Binance purchased Sakura in November 2022, allowing the company to enter the Japanese market, and in August 2023 launched an exchange in the country. Binance received license to operate in New Zealand in September 2022. The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission ordered internet service providers to bar users from accessing Binance in March 2024 following the agency finding that the company was operating in the country without a license in 2023. The agency also asked Google and Meta to bar Binance advertisements for Filipino users. In April 2023, Binance asked the Australian Securities & Investments Commission to cancel the financial services license of subsidiary Oztures Trading Party/Binance Australia Derivatives, which the agency did that month. In May 2023, Cuscal revoked Binance's access to PayID, which prevented clients from making deposits using the service, and Westpac barred its customers from making transactions with the exchange. In 2019, Binance Asia Services (BAS) began operating a local exchange in Singapore, Binance.sg, under a temporary exemption from the country's regulators while its application was under review. Binance.sg eventually withdrew its application and ceased operations by 13 February 2022. The Binance group of companies remained present in the country, focusing on innovation, incubation, and funding programs there. The Thai: Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission in Thailand filed a criminal complaint against Binance in 2021 for operating in the country without a license. A joint venture between Binance and Sarath Ratanavadi, Gulf Binance, received regulatory approval to open an exchange in Thailand, which opened in January 2024. India==== In November 2019, Binance announced it was acquiring Indian bitcoin exchange WazirX, which became disputed in August 2022 when Binance founder Zhao claimed the deal was never signed. In August 2022, India's Enforcement Directorate froze the assets of WazirX, an exchange reportedly owned by Binance, as part of a money laundering investigation. The day after the assets were frozen, Changpeng Zhao denied that Binance owned WazirX or equity in Zanmai Labs, the company that operates WazirX. WazirX cofounder Nischal Shetty disputed this claim, saying that WazirX had been acquired by Binance. TechCrunch reported the acquisition had been announced by Binance in a company blog post in 2019. Following recommendations from Financial Intelligence Unit—India, the Indian government blocked access to the websites of nine cryptocurrency exchanges in January 2024, including Binance, citing failure to appropriately register, comply with local tax rules, and follow the rules set out in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Europe=== Binance registered to operate in Spain in July 2022. Binance received permission to operate in Sweden in January 2023. In June 2023, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority ordered Binance to immediately end its virtual currency operations in Belgium because it was providing the same services to countries outside the European Economic Area. France became the first European country to grant Binance permission to operate in its borders in May 2022. The following year, French authorities opened an investigation into the company for money laundering and offering its services prior to receiving authorization. In April 2021, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority warned Binance that it risked fines for not releasing a prospectus for the stock tokens it issued. In July 2021, Italy's Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa warned consumers that Binance was not authorized to operate in the country. It registered with the Organismo degli Agenti e dei Mediatori in May 2022, allowing the company to operate in Italy. Binance incorporated in Lithuania in 2020, registering as a virtual currency exchange that does not hold or issue funds for clients. It relaunched its Lithuanian affiliate as Bifinity in March 2022. The company also registered Bincance Custody, a digital wallet storage company, in Lithuania in 2021. The Dutch central bank fined Binance US$3.4 million in July 2022 for operating in the Netherlands without the appropriate registration. Binance ceased operations in the Netherlands in June 2023 after the bank denied the company a license to operate. In January 2021, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority began requiring firms dealing with cryptoassets to register in order to comply with anti-money laundering rules. In June 2021, Binance was ordered by the FCA to stop all regulated activity in the United Kingdom. In June 2023, the FCA canceled unused permissions granted to Binance Markets Limited, meaning the company “can no longer provide regulated activities and products” in the UK. North America=== Canada==== In June 2021, Binance announced it would end operations in Ontario following increased provincial regulation. In March 2022, Binance told the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) that it would stop opening new accounts and halt trading on existing accounts in the province. Following new regulations announced by the Canadian Securities Administrators in February 2023 which required cryptocurrency exchanges to register with the agency, Binance left the Canadian market. The company announced its exit in May 2023. That month, OSC opened an investigation into the company's conduct while operating in Ontario. United States==== In 2019, Binance barred clients in the United States from creating new accounts on Binance.com due to regulatory concerns, and launched Binance.US for American clients. Bloomberg News reported in May 2021 the company was under investigation by officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service involved in investigations related to money laundering and tax violations. Bloomberg reported in June 2022 that the Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into Binance's initial coin offering in 2017 and Changpeng Zhao involvement with Binance.US. Binance.US announced plans to purchase Voyager Digital's assets in December 2022 and called off the purchase in April 2023, citing a "a hostile and uncertain regulatory environment". Arkham Intelligence provided data in January 2023 that identified “an alleged nexus of money laundering” from Bitzlato through intermediate wallets of Binance. Over the course of several years, it was found that the intermediary wallet deposited $15 million worth of crypto onto Binance’s platform. In February 2023, Reuters reported that over the first three months of 2021, Binance transferred over $404 million from a Binance.US account at Silvergate Bank to Merit Peak Ltd., a company managed by Zhao. Catherine Coley, then-CEO of Binance US, was quoted in messages to another Binance executive saying that "no one mentioned" the "unexpected" transfers. Coley left Binance.US shortly thereafter. Reuters said the transfers called into question the purported independence of Binance.US from Binance.com. A Binance.US spokesperson said the Reuters report used "outdated information" without further elaboration. On 1 March 2023, US Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, and Roger Marshall wrote a letter to Binance describing the exchange as "a hotbed of illegal financial activity that has facilitated over $10 billion in payments to criminals and sanctions evaders." The letter formally requested documents related to Binance's compliance with regulations. On 27 March 2023, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a lawsuit against Binance and Zhao in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claiming willful evasion of US law and allegedly breaching derivatives rules. The agency accused Binance of breaking rules intended to thwart money laundering operations, pointing to internal communications describing transactions by Palestinian militant organization Hamas, and suspected criminals, with the company's money laundering reporting officer allegedly remarking "we see the bad, but we close 2 eyes". In April 2023, three unidentified trading firms cited as "VIP" clients of Binance were revealed to be Radix Trading, Jane Street Capital and Tower Research Capital. In June 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it was suing Binance and Zhao on 13 charges for alleged violations of US securities rules. On September 12, 2023, Binance.US announced the resignation of CEO Brian Shroder and a reduction of the exchange’s workforce by around 100 positions, roughly one-third of its total staff. Binance.US cited the SEC’s civil suit as “an unfortunate example” of the agency’s “aggressive attempts to cripple our industry.” In October 2023, coinciding with the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Binance and Tether were described as a source of terrorist funding by US senator Cynthia Lummis and US Representative French Hill, with a letter calling for the Department of Justice to crack down on the exchange. In November 2023, Binance agreed to plead guilty to violating American anti-money laundering rules and pay a $4.3 billion fine. Zhao agreed to pay a $50 million fine and step down as CEO of the company, but was allowed to maintain his ownership as part of the deal. As of November 2023, New York, Texas, Vermont, and Hawaii barred Binance.US from conducting business in those states. References

I'll be away for the next couple of months. If any of the proposed content above can be helpful, feel free to implement and/or make any needed changes. Jtbobwaysf, I especially would like to thank you for the time you've spent discussing changes with me. I have learned a lot about how Wikipedia works over the past few months. Thanks, KB at Binance (talk) 10:22, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

This will take time to review, and the massive size of this change makes it more difficult than it should be. Please wait a bit before making any of these changes, but the default position for promotional editing should always be 'no'. Grayfell (talk) 19:13, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

I've had some time to review it more closely.

The first thing I notice is that the proposal falsely lists Bahrain as part of the UAE.

The arrangement of the 'Africa and the Middle East' section functionally donwplays Binance's illegality in Nigeria and instead emphasise it's more positive reception in the Middle East. This organizational trick aligns with Binance's PR describing the Middle East as more friendly than other countries. This is per cited sources, so ingoring this context is not neutral and not appropriate. As I've already explained, 'rearranging' the article is no an excuse for PR or whitewashing.

The very next source after that subsection is "Binance Ousts Tokocrypto CEO and Is Cutting 58% of Jobs at Unit". To summarize such a source only for positive statements is cherry-picking.

I could go on, but honestly, I don't think that's a productive use of my time. Put simply, this proposal is not neutral and not appropriate and Wikipedia is not a platform for promotion or advocacy. Expecting volunteers to clean up sloppy PR like this is an insult. Grayfell (talk) 04:14, 22 May 2024 (UTC)