Quelltext der Seite EXPLAINER-Binance: The Crypto Giant Facing Pressure From Regulators

<br>By Tom Wilson<br> <br>LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Financial regulators across the world have targeted major cryptocurrency exchange Binance.<br>Some have banned the platform from certain activities, while others have warned consumers that it was unlicensed to operate.<br> <br>Here are answers to some key questions on Binance, the world's biggest exchange by trading volumes, as the regulatory pressure mounts.<br> <br>HOW BIG IS BINANCE?<br> <br>By some measures,  afvalkalender heemstede it's the biggest platform in the world.<br><br>Its trading volumes in July were $455 million, down almost a third from a month earlier amid cooler crypto markets but still No.1 globally, according to data from CryptoCompare.<br> <br>Binance also leads crypto derivatives trading, with volumes topping $1.4 trillion in July - a 55% share of the overall market.<br> <br>Binance is headed by Changpeng Zhao, a Canadian known as "CZ".<br>The exchange offers a wide range of services to users across the globe, from cryptocurrency spot and  solitaryisle.tumblr.com/ derivatives trading to loans and non-fungible tokens.<br> <br>It also runs a "decentralised" exchange that allows users to trade directly with each other. Its own cryptocurrency, Binance Coin,  skirt length for work is the third-biggest in the world, with some $68 billion-worth in circulation.<br> <br>WHERE IS IT BASED?<br> <br>It's not entirely clear.<br> <br>Binance's corporate structure is opaque.<br><br>Its holdings company is registered in the Cayman Islands, according to British court documents and Malaysia's securities watchdog website <br>A Binance spokesperson has said the company is "decentralised" and that it "works with a number of regulated entities around the world".<br> <br>Binance has built up a huge following across the world, with channels on the Telegram social media app for users in more than 30 countries.<br> <br>On LinkedIn, Binance currently lists over 1,000 vacant positions, spread from Britain and the Netherlands to Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.<br> <br>AND IT'S COMING UNDER SCRUTINY FROM REGULATORS?<br> <br>Yes - all over the world.<br> <br>The Dutch central bank on Monday said Binance was not in compliance with the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing laws.<br> <br>A string of other regulators - including those in Japan, Britain website Germany, Italy, Hong Kong website and Malaysia - have also issued warnings against Binance in recent weeks.<br> <br>Binance is also reportedly under investigation by the U.S.<br><br>Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service.<br> <br>The platform has said it takes its compliance obligations very seriously and is committed to following all regulatory requirements wherever it operates.<br> <br>IS SCRUTINY HAVING ANY IMPACT?<br> <br>Binance doesn't release financial data, so it's hard to say whether it has hit its business.<br> <br>Yet the exchange has made several notable moves in the wake of the regulatory pressure.<br> <br>Binance CEO Zhao said last month he wanted to improve relations with regulators.<br><br>The exchange would seek their approval and establish regional headquarters, he said.<br> <br>Binance has also dialled back some of its range of crypto products that regulators may oversee.<br> <br>Last month it said it would wind down its futures and derivatives business across Europe, with users in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands among those first affected.<br> <br>It has also restricted the trading of derivatives by Hong Kong users, saying the move was "in-line with our commitment to compliance."<br> <br>In July, Binance also stopped selling digital tokens linked to shares after regulators cracked down on its "stock token".<br><br>It also said it would stop offering crypto margin trading involving the Australian dollar, euro and sterling.<br> <br>This week the firm appointed a former U.S. Treasury criminal investigator as its global money laundering reporting officer. (Reporting by Tom Wilson; Editing by Hugh Lawson)<br>