Binance Holdings Ltd.’s head of financial crime compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, who was detained in Nigeria for about eight months last year, is leaving the world’s largest crypto exchange.
Gambaryan was released on humanitarian grounds in October after his health deteriorated while in custody. The former U.S. Internal Revenue Service agent joined Binance in 2021 and was held on allegations of money laundering and currency manipulation during a trip to Nigeria on Binance’s behalf. The Nigerian government later dropped the charges against him, according to BusinessDay.
In a message to Bloomberg News, Gambaryan said Friday would be his last day at Binance.
“Tigran has made a lasting impact on Binance, just as he did in his previous roles in law enforcement,” a Binance spokesperson said. “We are deeply grateful for his dedication in transforming our financial crimes compliance organisation. Thanks to his tireless efforts, the crypto industry is safer for all.”
Binance CEO Richard Teng had claimed in a blog post that the firm was asked for a “secret” payment to resolve its issues, which Nigeria denied.
Known as the “Crypto Wizard” during his U.S. government service, Gambaryan specialised in tracing illicit crypto transactions and helped Binance improve anti-money laundering protocols while assisting global law enforcement amid rising regulatory pressure.