Over the weekend, fake news about Binance CEO being shot by the FBI started spreading.
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, Binance CEO, denied rumors that spread widely on the Chinese messaging platform WeChat claiming Zhao was shot by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
CZ took to Twitter on March 4th to debunk the false speculations and emphasized that Binance is closely working with the United States’ principal federal law enforcement agency. CZ also highlighted the importance of ignoring fake news by referring to his January 3rd tweet about his 2023 goals.
Did you know?
Want to get smarter & wealthier with crypto?
Subscribe - We publish new crypto explainer videos every week!
What is Curve Finance in Crypto? (Animated Explanation)
The fourth goal reminded people not to fall for misleading information such as FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Destruction), attacks, fake news, and other distractions. The CEO also retweeted a post by one of his followers who asked about the rumor. In a Chinese text, the user stated, “Zhao Changpeng was shot dead by the FBI [translated].”
Weighing in on the matter, a MetaMask security analyst, Harry Denley, stated that the misinformation is a malicious attempt to manipulate the market. He likened it to the false information that spread in 2017, claiming that Vitalik Buterin was killed in a car accident.
It is worth noting that on March 1st, CZ and Binance.US CEO Brian Shroder received a letter from three US senators, Elizabeth Warren, Roger Marshall, and Chris Van Hollen demanding more information about the finances of Binance and Binance.US. The legislators expressed concerns over the little information available about the exchange, claiming that it could be involved in illegal financial activities.
In October 2022, Binance.US hired a former FBI special agent BJ Kang to lead its investigation unit, tasked with combating illegal activities on the platform.
Binance is the largest exchange in the cryptocurrency space in terms of trading volume. The company claims to be fully committed to cooperating with regulatory authorities to ensure transparency and accountability.
