‘I Just Want to Keep Things Moving’: Judge Makes No Ruling in SEC-Binance Document Dispute

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A U.S. justice declined to bid Binance.US to marque its executives much disposable for depositions, oregon for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to backmost down successful its demands for much documents during a proceeding Monday.

Rather, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui urged the 2 parties to enactment connected the assorted find requests together, asking the SEC to constrictive its petition for accusation but allowing it to depose definite shard holders to found whether Binance.US’s funds are safe. The crypto exchange, a subdivision of the planetary Binance entity, should stock much accusation astir its narration with Ceffu, its work provider, helium said.

“I’m not going to bid from the seat close present that they nutrient oregon not nutrient things. Let’s proceed to effort to enactment this out,” helium said. “I conscionable privation to support things moving.”

At the bosom of the SEC’s argument is simply a interest that Ceffu is acold much intimately related to Binance Holdings Limited, its planetary entity, than is permitted by a mutually agreed upon bid requiring Binance.US and its genitor institution BAM Trading to support each U.S. lawsuit funds successful wallets accessible lone by U.S. personnel.

Matthew Martens, an lawyer with Wilmer Hale representing Binance.US, said the regulator’s requests for documents were truthful broad it would beryllium intolerable to nutrient them. “Chasing down precisely however that bundle works is neither present nor there,” helium said.

The justice said Binance needs to supply much accusation astir its existent custody solution: “I deliberation we request much than we’ve got close now,” adding arsenic an speech that helium wasn’t “super assured that BAM has full power of their assets.”

SEC lawyer Jennifer Farer said portion of the contented is “we don’t cognize what we don’t know,” successful arguing that the regulator needed ample amounts of accusation astir Binance.US’ caller wallet arrangement.

“That is foolishness. It’s not superior litigation,” Martens said aboriginal connected successful the hearing.

In June, the SEC sued Binance and laminitis Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, accusing them of moving an unlicensed securities exchange. Since then, the regulator has been moving to guarantee that assets from U.S. customers would enactment successful the U.S.

The justice acceptable an October 10 deadline for a associated presumption study and a follow-up proceeding for October 12.

UPDATE (Sept. 18, 2023, 23:15 UTC): Adds deadlines.