Investigators Flag $1.7B Iran Crypto Flows: Binance Suspends Them Instead

- The transactions are linked to a terrorist group. - Binance fires employees (investigators) who whistleblowed and face backlash. - Binance says it had to fire them for breaking company protocol.

Adepu Bindu

24 Feb 2026 — 2 min read

Investigators Flag $1.7B Iran Crypto Flows: Binance Suspends Them Instead

In what can only be called a suspicious move, Binance has suspended employees who found money flows connected to Iranian groups. Not just any groups but those connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is officially labelled as a terrorist organisation by the U.S. As part of their duties, the employees reported the transaction in fall 2025, and within weeks, they were fired. Binance calls the suspension a defensive step for breaking company protocol. Legal experts and critics say otherwise. What were the findings in the investigation? Does it have any political angle? What exactly was Binance to the criticism? For all that, learn more.

Political Angle to Binance Firing Investigators

Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s founder, was pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump in October 2025. It is said that this happened after business ties reportedly formed between Binance and a crypto venture connected to Trump’s family. Moreover, Binance had already pleaded guilty in 2023 to money-laundering violations.

Back then, it had to pay a massive $4.3 billion settlement with U.S. authorities. The company was later put under strict regulation. The whole situation is sparking legal, political, and industry-wide concerns about compliance and accountability in cryptocurrency.

Money Flow Discovered by Binance Investigators

Aspect	Blessed Trust	Hexa Whale Trading
Type of Entity	Binance payment vendor	Crypto trading entity
Amount Transferred	$1.2 billion	$490 million
Destination	Iranian-linked entities	Entities linked to suspected terror financing
Connection Found	Wallets tied to Iranian Revolutionary Guards	Flagged after Israeli law enforcement alert
Time Period	Over two years	Before law enforcement contact
Cryptocurrency Used	Tether (USDT) stablecoin	Tether (USDT) stablecoin
Blockchain Used	Tron blockchain	Tron blockchain
Why It Raised Concern	Possible sanctions violations	Possible terror-financing links
Investigator Action	Reported internally to compliance leadership	Reported internally to compliance leadership

Binance’s Response to Firing the Investigators

Binance has clearly denied any wrongdoing. It says it removed suspicious accounts and notified the relevant authorities. They argue that it had to fire the investigators for breaking company protocol, accessing unauthorised data, and sharing it. However, critics and legal experts strongly doubt it and say it discourages whistleblowing.

Final Thoughts...

Nothing is apparent at the moment. The company says it had to fire for company protocol, and experts criticise it. Transactions like these are said to be popular for avoiding international sanctions, because transfers are quicker and harder to block than traditional banking payments. There can be more updates on the same. So, keep in touch.