- Reuters said Binance shared records tied to Yuri Belenkiy with Russian authorities.
- Belenkiy was detained in September 2025 and remains jailed awaiting trial.
- Binance said it cooperates with lawful law enforcement requests under applicable rules.
A Reuters report said Binance user data was provided to Russian authorities and later used in a criminal case against Russian IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy. According to the report, the exchange linked him to transfers worth more than $700 and allegedly supplied personal information including his date of birth, address, phone number, passport number, and copies of identification documents. Russian investigators said the donations were made to Ukrainian-linked recipients. Binance declined to discuss Belenkiy’s case or say whether the disclosure may have breached European data protection rules. CoinDesk also said it contacted Binance and had not received a response at the time of publication.
Binance user data in the Reuters report
Reuters reported that law enforcement documents showed Binance identified Belenkiy as the source of transfers totaling more than $700. The report said Binance user data allegedly shared with investigators included his date of birth, address, phone number, passport number, and copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residency permit.
The report also said investigators received two responses from case@binanceholdings.ru after asking for Belenkiy’s transaction history. Reuters added that Binance’s website had directed Russian and Belarusian law enforcement agencies to that address, connecting the replies to a contact point listed for official requests.
Case details tied to the donations
Russia’s Investigative Committee alleged that Belenkiy made the payments between January 2023 and March 2024. Reuters said the donations followed an appeal by exiled Kremlin critic Arkady Babchenko and were meant for the Ukrainian military and a group associated with the Azov Brigade, which Moscow classifies as a terrorist organization.
Russian authorities detained Belenkiy in September 2025, and he remains in jail awaiting trial, according to the report. Reuters said the documents referenced in the case were obtained by The First Department, an organization that supports defendants in Russian political cases, from one of Belenkiy’s relatives.
Binance user data and company policy statements
Reuters said the disclosure happened after Binance sold its Russian business to CommEX in September 2023. At the time, Binance said operating in Russia did not fit its compliance strategy and that it would keep no revenue-sharing arrangement or option to buy the business back.
Binance’s current law-enforcement guidelines say the company requires a valid court order, police order, or warrant before providing user information in a criminal investigation. Reuters also reported that Binance said it cooperates with lawful law enforcement requests subject to applicable legal, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
Reuters report and unanswered issues
Reuters said Binance declined to discuss Belenkiy’s specific case. The company also did not comment on whether the disclosure may have violated European data protection rules, leaving that part of the matter unresolved in the reporting.
CoinDesk said it reached out to Binance and had not heard back at the time of writing. As presented in the report, the account relies on Reuters, law enforcement documents, and materials obtained by The First Department from one of Belenkiy’s relatives.
Conclusion
The Reuters report places Binance user data at the center of a case involving Yuri Belenkiy, a Russian IT specialist accused of financing terrorism through donations tied to Ukrainian groups. Reuters said Binance identified transfers worth more than $700 and allegedly provided personal records that were later used by Russian authorities. Belenkiy was detained in September 2025 and remains in jail awaiting trial. The report also draws attention to Binance’s published law-enforcement guidelines, which say legal orders are required for criminal investigations, while the company limited its public response to saying it cooperates with lawful requests under applicable legal, privacy, and regulatory standards.
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