Binance seizes Palestinian funds, draws ire: ‘Not your keys, not your coins’

  • Binance seized Palestinian funds following requests from Israeli authorities, sparking outrage from the crypto community.
  • Binance’s CEO dismissed the controversy as misinformation, but skepticism persisted.

As a long-time crypto investor with a keen eye on global political events, I find myself deeply troubled by the recent turn of events surrounding Binance and the seizure of Palestinian funds. Having witnessed the rapid growth and promise of blockchain technology as a tool for financial freedom and decentralization, it’s disheartening to see such a prominent player in the space seemingly cede ground to traditional authorities.


In the midst of the intensifying Israel-Palestine dispute, it appears that Binance, a leading cryptocurrency platform, took control of money from Palestinians following a demand by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Binance’s bold move

According to Ray Youssef, the co-founder of Paxful and CEO of the Noone’s P2P platform, he stated that Binance’s actions were a consequence of demands made by Israeli officials.

“According to a request from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Binance has taken control of all financial assets belonging to Palestinians. However, Binance is unwilling to release these funds, and all attempts to reverse this decision have been unsuccessful.”

Binance seizes Palestinian funds, draws ire: ‘Not your keys, not your coins’

In simple terms, this statement means that the letter describes an instance where Israel’s Minister of Defense took action under the Anti-Terrorism Law. He confiscated digital wallets containing cryptocurrencies that were connected to a known “terrorist group” based on credible intelligence information.

The individual who had their wallets confiscated argues that the confiscation was examined and ruled in favor of, as the proof indicated that the money was connected to a “serious terrorism-related activity.”

The Minister has the option to seize the properties, but if a challenge is made, it can be taken up in an administrative court.

He further stressed that the measure impacted all Palestinians and warned that similar actions could target countries like Lebanon and Syria next. 

“Every Palestinian is impacted, and it seems like all Lebanese and Syrians may face a similar situation. It’s not about your house keys or pocket money.”

How did the crypto community respond to this?

This has sent shockwaves through the crypto community as highlighted by an X user Pukka, who said, 

“This isn’t the cryptocurrency world we dreamt of.” 

Sharing a similar line of thought was Web 3 strategist Slorg, who added, 

Binance seizes Palestinian funds, draws ire: ‘Not your keys, not your coins’

Binance CEO in defense

In the midst of the ongoing debate among cryptocurrency enthusiasts, Binance’s newly appointed CEO, Richard Teng, recently spoke out about a particular matter on X. He labeled it as misinformation, claiming that there was no substance to it.

“Misunderstandings have arisen regarding our recent action. We’ve restricted a select number of accounts associated with suspicious funds from carrying out transactions. However, it seems that not all the information circulating is accurate.”

As an analyst, I can affirm that, in line with other financial entities, Binance adheres to globally acknowledged regulations aimed at thwarting money laundering activities.

He mentioned that the company underscores its dedication to ensuring users can confidently navigate its platform with safety and security in mind.

Speculation still persists

Although they’ve been given these guarantees, a lot of people within the community are still doubtful, seeing them as just efforts to quiet worries instead.

As expected, X user Joel A captured this sentiment aptly, stating,

“Hmmmmm. If they doing that to them what’s stopping them from doing that to us?” 

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2024-08-28 20:08