Today in crypto, Binance filed a lawsuit after the Wall Street Journal reported a US Justice Department probe into Iran’s alleged use of the exchange to avoid sanctions, Ripple says it is expecting to secure an Australian Financial Services License after acquiring an Australian payments company in April, and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins called for a coordinated approach between his agency and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Binance sues Wall Street Journal amid report of DOJ Iran probe
Binance said Wednesday it is suing the Wall Street Journal after the newspaper reported that the US Justice Department was investigating whether Iran used the crypto exchange to evade US sanctions.
Binance filed a defamation lawsuit against the Journal in the Southern District of New York, seeking damages and legal fees, and demanding a jury trial.
Binance told Cointelegraph it was not aware of any Justice Department investigation and said it continued to cooperate with regulators and law enforcement. “As always, we are collaborating with regulators and law enforcement to investigate the facts,” the spokesperson said.
The suit came shortly after the Journal reported Wednesday that the DOJ was investigating whether Iran used Binance to evade US sanctions and whether transactions on the exchange helped route funds to networks linked to Iran-backed groups, including Yemen’s Houthi militants. The report cited company documents and people familiar with the matter.
The DOJ had not confirmed an investigation into Iran’s alleged use of Binance to avoid US sanctions at the time of publication.
Ripple targets April for Australian financial license via acquisition
Crypto company Ripple is expecting to secure an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) in April following its planned acquisition of BC Payments Australia, a corporate entity tied to the European Banking Circle Group.
The acquisition of BC Payments Australia is set to close on April 1, according to a report from The Australian, citing comments from Ripple APAC managing director Fiona Murray.
Exciting milestone for @Ripple in Australia! 🇦🇺
— Ripple (@Ripple) March 10, 2026
Ripple is obtaining an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL). As we continue to bridge TradFi with the next gen of digital infrastructure, regulatory compliance remains the foundation of everything we build:… pic.twitter.com/JNF1iQSyG7
Murray said there was “enough institutional interest in digital assets to warrant the investment for us.”
Ripple has been working to expand its collection of international licenses over the last year.
In addition to recently securing conditional approval for a national trust banking charter in the US, Ripple has also won payment licenses in Singapore, the UAE and the UK over the last 12 months.
SEC chair calls for “coordinated oversight” between US regulators
Paul Atkins, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said that an agreement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would lead to a new level of “coordination and collaboration,” including on enforcement.
In a Tuesday speech for the FIA Global Cleared Markets Conference in Florida, Atkins said that the SEC and CFTC were considering an updated memorandum of understanding on coordination between the two federal regulators. The SEC chair did not explicitly mention oversight of digital assets, but said “the regrettable era of duplicative enforcement actions and conflicting remedial obligations for the same conduct is over.”
“Conduct in a single operating environment means that the SEC and CFTC, within the bounds of their independent statutory authority and regulatory interests, should coordinate legal theories and remedial strategies,” said Atkins. “Fragmented, redundant enforcement does not increase deterrence — it only increases confusion.”
