Crypto
Home›Crypto›Regulation›Binance customer data cited in Russian terrorism-finan…
Binance customer data cited in Russian terrorism-financing case
Binance was formally out of Russia for almost two years when investigators detained Yuri Belenkiy, yet law enforcement documents reviewed by Reuters describe customer and transaction records supplied by Binance for the case.
When Russian investigators detained IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy in September 2025, Binance had already been formally out of Russia for almost two years. However, law enforcement documents reviewed by Reuters show that Binance customer records were still available and were later incorporated into a Russian terrorism-financing prosecution, according to CryptoSlate. Belenkiy, 49, holds a Russian passport and has a Bulgarian residence permit. He is accused of sending more than $700 in crypto to Ukrainian recipients between January 2023 and March 2024, with Russian authorities saying the payments supported a group linked to the Azov military unit, which Moscow designates as a terrorist organization. Belenkiy is jailed pending trial, and the allegations have not been adjudicated. The case highlights what an exchange exit can and cannot change. Even after an exchange stops onboarding and exits a local operation, financial-law recordkeeping can mean customer identity details and account histories remain available for years, CryptoSlate reports, and data cooperation with authorities can differ from customer servicing or custody relationships. Binance announced the sale of its Russian business to CommEX on Sept. 27, 2023 and described it as a complete exit, while also denying any continuing revenue arrangement or buyback option. Reuters reviewed documents describing a later law enforcement request for transaction records connected with Belenkiy, including a file listing his date of birth, residential address, phone number, and passport number, plus copies of his passport and Bulgarian residence permit, per CryptoSlate.