Overview
- Binance changed its policy in April 2025 to route the bulk of law enforcement requests from other countries through United Arab Emirates authorities or Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs).
- MLATs are government-to-government channels for evidence that typically take much longer than direct company responses, and prosecutors say those longer waits matter when investigators must freeze or trace crypto fast.
- U.S. and European prosecutors, including Brooklyn’s Virtual Currency Unit, report slower receipt of user records and say those delays are hampering fraud probes and reducing the chance of recovering stolen funds.
- A Justice Department memo warned federal prosecutors to expect less direct help from Binance when seeking urgent asset freezes or seizures, while Binance says it has not reduced cooperation, calling the policy a deliberate strengthening of controls.
- Binance still gives direct help in urgent cases involving child sexual abuse material, terrorism, or imminent threats to life, but law enforcement officials warn the policy will force changes in how crypto crimes are investigated and prosecuted.