Binance, CZ et 3 influenceurs nommés dans le procès $1B
- Binance, Changpeng Zhao et trois influenceurs ont été nommés dans un procès de $1 milliard alléguant qu'ils se sont engagés dans la promotion de titres non enregistrés.
- Le cabinet d'avocats Moscowitz et Boies Schiller Flexner ont intenté une action en justice dans le district sud de la Floride et demandent des dommages-intérêts pour trois investisseurs.
- Les trois influenceurs nommés dans le procès de Binance sont Jimmy Butler, star de la NBA Miami Heat, et les YouTubers Graham Stephan et Ben Armstrong (BitBoy Crypto).
- “We’ve been investigating these same unregistered security issues against Binance for over a year,” said the lawsuit.
Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by spot trading volume, has been the center of many lawsuits amid increasing regulatory pressure in the US. Interestingly, the exchange has also faced pressure to discontinue the minting of its stablecoin, BUSD. As per a report, the crypto exchange along with its CEO and co-founder, Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ in the crypto space, along with three other influencers have been named in a $1 billion lawsuit.
Selon un rapport de Fortune, le cabinet d'avocats Moscowitz et Boies Schiller Flexner ont intenté une action en justice contre Binance, CZ et trois influenceurs du district sud de la Floride, affirmant que l'échange cryptographique est responsable de la promotion illégale de titres non enregistrés avec l'aide d'influenceurs rémunérés.
“This is a classic example of a centralized exchange which is promoting the sale of an unregistered security,” said the filing while explaining the charges.
The three influencers named in the Binance lawsuit are NBA Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, and YouTubers Graham Stephan and Ben Armstrong (BitBoy Crypto). In a similar lawsuit against Voyager Digital, the law firm claimed that influencers promoting “unregistered securities” are liable for customer losses. It seems that the same issue appears here as well.
It is crucial to note that the influencers and the exchange are asked to pay $1 billion as damages to investors. “We’ve been investigating these same unregistered security issues against Binance for over a year,” said the lawsuit, while adding that the partners of Binance and CZ are responsible for the losses of the customers and will have to pay accordingly.
Le procès prétend également que les investisseurs qui ont été touchés par les avenants de Binance, CZ et les influenceurs ne sont pas tenus de prouver au tribunal qu'ils ont été touchés par ces campagnes promotionnelles. Plus de trois inventeurs ont été impliqués dans l'affaire, le cabinet d'avocats déclarant que des millions d'investisseurs pourraient avoir été touchés. Le plan est d'ajouter plus d'influenceurs à l'affaire également.
Le PDG de Binance explique les liens avec la Chine
Binance et sa relation avec la Chine ont été cachés pendant plus de sept ans, claims a report from the Financial Times, and this news rocked the industry. “We no longer publish our office addresses … people in China can directly say that our office is not in China,” Zhao had reportedly said in a company message group in November 2017.
On the other hand, the exchange spoke to Cointelegraph, confirming that it “does not operate in China nor do we have any technology, including servers or data, based in China,” and adding:
“While we did have a customer service call center based in China to service global Mandarin speakers, those employees who wished to remain with the company were offered relocation assistance starting in 2021.”
It is also important to mention here that Binance, CZ, and the exchange’s Chief Compliance Officer, Samuel Lim, were sued by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for violation des règles de négociation et de produits dérivés.