Cryptocurrency exchange Binance’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, who is also known as CZ, has been rumored to have received an Interpol Red Notice.
However, there is no public evidence of the notice’s existence, as Cryptomacro, which searched Interpol’s website, did not find any mention of Zhao or his colleague, Samuel Lim, among the almost 7,000 Red Notices.
The rumour was circulated by “Cobie “, who posted an encrypted tweet saying “Interpol Red Notice for CZ.” Cobie’s Twitter account is currently protected, and any further comments he may have made are known only to approved followers.
It is also possible that police forces are privately circulating a Red Notice against Zhao, despite the lack of public information as Ben Armstrong aka “Bitboy crypto” pointed out when he tweeted earlier on that matter
It is also possible that the notice is pending approval. Nevertheless, Interpol’s website downplays the significance of a Red Notice. It is not an international arrest warrant or requires the arresting country to take action against the subject.
Instead, it is a request that authorities locate and provisionally arrest Zhao and deliver him to the country that requested the notice.
On March 27, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed charges against Zhao and related parties for regulatory evasion and operating an illegal exchange.
Presumably, any possible Red Notice related to this development would only help advance charges that have already been filed. There is no indication of whether other countries have ongoing cases against Zhao.
Binance, founded in 2017, is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, and its CEO has become a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency world. Binance has faced regulatory scrutiny in several countries, including the US, the UK, Japan, and Canada.
The CFTC charges were the latest legal trouble for Binance and its executives. Since then, Binance has announced several changes, including the reduction of maximum leverage allowed for futures trading, the suspension of its stock token offerings, and the removal of some trading pairs.
Interpol Red Notice
The rumored Interpol Red Notice against Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao cannot be confirmed publicly, and there is no evidence of its existence on Interpol’s website. Even if such a notice were circulating, it would not necessarily result in an international arrest warrant or require the arresting country to take action against Zhao.
The recent charges filed by the CFTC against Zhao and related parties may be advanced by any Red Notice related to the case. Binance has faced regulatory scrutiny in multiple countries and has announced changes to its operations in response to legal challenges.