Crypto: Binance employee fired for exposing market manipulation!

According to former employees, Binance allegedly turned a blind eye to market manipulation evidence involving DWF Labs, a major client of the platform. The dismissal of an internal surveillance manager raises questions about the integrity of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

Did Binance Cover Up Market Manipulations?

An investigation by the Wall Street Journal found that Binance’s surveillance team had discovered that DWF Labs, a market maker representing two-thirds of the total transaction volume on the platform, engaged in price manipulation on at least 7 cryptos, including YGG.

The investigators revealed that DWF Labs had made over $300 million in suspicious profits in 2023, notably by selling nearly 5 million tokens just before a price spike.

Faced with this damning evidence, the surveillance team recommended banning DWF Labs from the platform. However, this decision met with strong internal opposition. The VIP client manager felt the evidence was insufficient. The compliance service supported this position, accusing the lead investigator of having too close ties with DWF Labs competitors.

The Crypto Exchange Defends Itself and Highlights Its Zero Tolerance Policy

It is against this tense backdrop that Binance decided to dismiss the head of the surveillance team. A worrisome signal according to former employees, who see it as proof that the exchange deliberately ignored market manipulations involving a major client.

Binance claims that the suspicious transactions identified were isolated cases and did not represent manipulation. The crypto platform justifies the dismissal of the investigator due to his alleged ties with DWF’s rivals, which could have been a source of bias in the investigation.

In a statement, Binance reiterates its commitment to fighting market abuse, pointing out that 355,000 users and $2.5 trillion in transactions have been banned over the last three years for “terms of use violations”. But will these figures be enough to dispel the doubts?

For its part, DWF Labs has called the accusations “unfounded”, assuring that it operates according to “the highest standards of integrity and transparency”.

In short, this affair tarnishes the image of Binance and raises questions about the actual effectiveness of its anti-manipulation safeguards, especially when major clients are involved.

In a context where the heavy penalties imposed by US regulators the previous year are still fresh in memory, Binance must act transparently on this issue if it wants to restore trust and prove its commitment to market integrity. The credibility and future of the world’s largest crypto exchange platform depend on it.