• Binance is recording massive outflows as FUD rocks the trading platform.
• The exchange is set to pay $4.3B to the DOJ and founder CZ stepped down as CEO.

Binance, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, is grappling with a crisis as a substantial net outflow of $1 billion in assets within the past 24 hours has raised concerns among investors. This alarming development comes on the heels of a multi-billion dollar settlement and criminal charges against Binance’s founder and CEO, Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ.

Net Outflow and Inflow Dynamics at Binance

According to data from DeFiLlama, Binance experienced a net outflow of approximately $1 billion in assets, contrasting sharply with OKX, which recorded a net inflow of more than $145 million during the same period. Despite this significant outflow, Binance still maintains the largest assets among cryptocurrency exchanges, with over $67.9 billion.

Reports suggest that Binance wallets are currently being drained, mirroring a scenario reminiscent of a collapsing financial institution. Users are hastily withdrawing funds amid growing fears of insolvency, fueled by the payment of $4.3 billion paid as a settlement for criminal charges against the exchange. Withdrawal requests for ERC-20 tokens and Ethereum (ETH) on Binance have surged to levels reminiscent of the collapse of other prominent platforms, such as FTX.

In response to these developments, some market analysts are setting conservative price targets for Binance Coin (BNB) at under $5. The fear of insolvency has triggered a mass exodus of users withdrawing funds from Binance. The current atmosphere of uncertainty and the looming threat of bankruptcy are causing a cascade effect, with investor sentiment reaching new lows.

CZ’s Legal Troubles

The case against Binance gained momentum in June when the SEC accused the exchange and CZ of operating without proper registration and misleading investors. The allegations pointed to the use of a Swiss-based fund, Sigma Chain, owned by CZ, to inflate trading volumes on Binance’s U.S. platform. The subsequent action by the DOJ highlighted Binance’s offering of crypto derivatives to U.S. citizens without the necessary registration.

CZ’s guilty plea to violations related to the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and failure to register as a money-transmitting business has resulted in a three-year ban on taking any management position in the company. As part of the settlement, Binance agreed to pay $4.3 billion to resolve the investigations into Binance’s regulatory violations.

CZ has announced his resignation as CEO of Binance. Richard Teng, the global head of regional markets at Binance, has been named as the new CEO. Teng, with over three decades of financial services and regulatory experience, is expected to guide the company through its next phase of growth, focusing on security, transparency, compliance, and overall stability.

Despite the tumultuous events, both CZ and Teng emphasize the safety of user funds, with Teng outlining three main objectives for his tenure as CEO. These include reassuring users of the company’s financial strength and security, upholding high global standards through collaboration with regulators, and driving the adoption of Web3 through partnerships.