Two Binance employees cleared after UAE airport questioning

Two employees of Binance who were stopped at airport checkpoints in the United Arab Emirates were released after providing statements to local police, a company spokesperson said. Authorities questioned the employees about third-party fund movements linked to a client money account held by the firm. No charges were filed.

The exchange said the workers were not targets or subjects of criminal investigations and were allowed to leave after cooperating with officers. The company did not provide the employees’ names, roles or the exact timing of the stops.

A Binance spokesperson said the interactions were part of routine inquiries focused on how third-party funds moved through a client money account. The firm said the employees answered investigators’ questions and were released without restriction.

“Cryptocurrency and the mechanics of institutional client money accounts remain emerging concepts in many jurisdictions; we are working constructively with Dubai Police and authorities across other Emirates to establish clear, appropriate coordination procedures,” the spokesperson said.

Binance added it is working with Dubai Police and officials in other Emirates to set procedures for handling similar inquiries. The company declined to say whether any accounts were frozen or whether other staff or customers were questioned in connection with the inquiries.

The episode follows a separate high-profile case in 2024 in which an executive then serving as the exchange’s head of financial crime compliance was detained overseas on money-laundering charges and later had all charges dropped after several months in custody. Binance said it is engaging with UAE authorities to help clarify how client money accounts operate under local rules and to support consistent coordination with law enforcement.