White Collar & Government Investigations Blog

Co-Chair of Olshan’s White Collar & Government Investigations Practice Robert Appleton was prominently quoted in a breaking Fortune article which has been cited in the US Senate Committee Hearing on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. The article exposes crypto flows from Binance accounts to a cluster of wallets investigators linked to Iran-connected sanctioned entities and ultimately to sanctioned groups, following the conviction of both the exchange and its CEO in US District Court last year for permitting transactions over its exchange for the benefit of the Iranian regime and sanctioned entities. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), sent a follow-up letter challenging Binance's March 6, 2026, response to congressional inquiries about Iran-linked money laundering. Blumenthal is directly challenging Binance's credibility, alleging material misrepresentations and demanding comprehensive documentation to verify compliance with DOJ and FinCEN agreements. “Subsequent reporting by Fortune and the New York Times has provided more information on Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale’s money laundering schemes and relationship with Binance, calling attention to obvious red flags,” it reads.