The billionaire Binance founder pardoned by Donald Trump has been accused of facilitating millions of dollars’ worth of payments to Hamas in the wake of its attack on Israel on October 7 2023.
In a complaint filed in US federal court on Monday by American citizens whose family members were murdered, maimed or taken hostage in the assault, Changpeng Zhao and the cryptocurrency exchange he founded are alleged to have knowingly provided “substantial assistance” to militant groups including Hamas and Hizbollah, helping them conceal the movement of funds.
The payments allegedly laundered through Binance — the largest crypto exchange in the world — continued even after the company paid more than $4.3bn in November 2023 to settle US charges of violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws, lawyers for the victims claim in the lawsuit.