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Binance rule changes route foreign data requests through UAE treaty channels

Binance rule changes route foreign data requests through UAE treaty channels

Brooklyn prosecutors and a DOJ memo have raised concerns that Binance's April 2025 policy can slow urgent fraud-related record requests, asset freezes and seizures by routing many foreign cases through UAE legal channels.

Fact Check
The NYT article itself (nytimes.com/2026/07/28/us/binance-crypto-crime.html) confirms Binance enacted a policy in 'April of last year' (April 2025) requiring routing of certain law-enforcement requests through foreign government/treaty channels, slowing user-data access. CoinDesk's coverage explicitly attributes the shift to UAE MLAT routing and quotes a senior European law enforcement official complaining it hinders investigations, matching the claim's 'European authorities say can slow fraud and money-laundering probes.' Coincu corroborates the UAE MLAT routing for foreign requests. All core elements — the NYT source, the April 2025 timing, UAE MLAT channels, foreign/overseas scope, and European authorities' concerns about slowed probes — are supported.
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Summary

Binance has reportedly routed many foreign law-enforcement requests for user data through United Arab Emirates authorities or the mutual legal assistance treaty process since April 2025, a shift that prosecutors say can slow fraud investigations when time-sensitive records and freezes are needed. The New York Times had previously reported European concern over delays in fraud and money-laundering cases, and new reporting says the Brooklyn District Attorney's office and a U.S. Department of Justice memo have also flagged reduced speed in urgent asset freeze and seizure matters. Binance says it still responds directly in urgent cases involving child exploitation and terrorism and that its overall cooperation with law enforcement has improved year over year. The issue matters because crypto assets can be moved quickly, making delays in obtaining records, tracing funds, and preserving assets more consequential for investigators. Binance operates under the regulation of the Abu Dhabi Global Market, which provides a legal basis for routing requests through UAE authorities.

Terms & Concepts
  • MLAT: Mutual legal assistance treaty, a formal government-to-government process for obtaining evidence across borders.
  • asset freezes: Legal measures that prevent funds from being moved or withdrawn while an investigation or court process is underway.
  • Abu Dhabi Global Market: A financial free zone in the UAE with its own regulatory framework for firms operating there.