Binance $4.3 Billion Payment in US Plea Deal Approved by Judge

Binance Holdings Ltd. will pay $4.3 billion after a judge approved a plea deal that levies one of the largest criminal penalties in US history against the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange.

“This really is a case where the ethics of the company were compromised by greed,” US District Judge Richard Jones said at a sentencing hearing in Seattle on Friday.

Late last year, Binance and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, pleaded guilty to anti-money laundering and sanctions charges to resolve a long-running investigation by prosecutors and regulators. Binance admitted that it allowed transactions with Hamas and other terrorist groups on ...