Binance disclosed customer details in Russian terrorism financing case: Report

The disclosure has raised questions over the exchange's data-sharing practices after it said in 2023 that it had fully exited Russia.

Binance handed Russian investigators personal and transaction data linked to a customer’s crypto donations to Ukrainian organizations, with the information later cited as evidence in a Russian terrorism financing case, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

Yuri Belenkiy, a Russian IT specialist with residency in Bulgaria, was detained in September 2025 and charged after investigators alleged he sent more than $700 to the Ukrainian military and an affiliated group. Documents show Binance provided his transaction history, along with personal information including his address, phone number, passport details and a Bulgarian residency permit.

The case has drawn scrutiny because Binance announced in September 2023 that it had fully exited Russia, saying continued operations were incompatible with its compliance strategy.

Binance said it does not determine criminal charges or how authorities use information and that it responds to lawful requests in line with applicable requirements.

A crypto regulation lawyer told Reuters that if Belenkiy was registered as an EU customer, GDPR rules could have restricted the transfer of his data to Russia.

Russian investigators also asked Binance to identify other people who had sent crypto to a wallet used to solicit donations for Ukrainian forces. The documents do not show whether Binance provided information on additional donors.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.