2025-06-20
Added · Updated
BAM Trading Services Inc. d/b/a Binance.US must pay a $60,000 civil penalty and surrender its Connecticut money transmission license within sixty days of the surrender request. The entity is prohibited from applying for licensure in Connecticut until November 21, 2033, unless control person Changpeng Zhao ceases to be a control person. BAM Trading must commence winding down its Connecticut operations by June 23, 2025, ceasing all trading activity by August 22, 2025, and converting remaining customer virtual assets to fiat currency for distribution via check. Any uncashed checks remaining after ninety days must be remitted to the Connecticut Office of the Treasurer in accordance with state unclaimed property laws.
IN THE MATTER OF: * * BAM TRADING SERVICES INC. * d/b/a BINANCE.US * CONSENT ORDER NMLS # 1906829 * * (“BAM Trading”) * *
WHEREAS, the Banking Commissioner (“Commissioner”) is charged with the administration of Part V of Chapter 668, Sections 36a-595 to 36a-614, inclusive, of the Connecticut General Statutes, known as the “Money Transmission Act”; WHEREAS, BAM Trading is a Delaware corporation with an address of 252 NW 29th Street, 9th Floor, Suite 905, Miami, Florida. BAM Trading is wholly owned by BAM Management US Holdings Inc., which is majority owned directly and indirectly by an individual, Changpeng Zhao (“CZ”); WHEREAS, BAM Trading has been licensed to engage in the business of money transmission in Connecticut since September 3, 2020. On November 1, 2023, BAM Trading requested renewal of its license to engage in the business of money transmission in Connecticut on the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (“NMLS”) for the January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 period. Such renewal request is currently pending; WHEREAS, at all times relevant hereto, BAM Trading engaged in the business of exchanging convertible virtual currency for other convertible virtual currency and fiat currency, issuing prepaid access and stored value and from at least December 16, 2021 through the present, hosting custodial wallets of virtual currency. Further, in November 2021, BAM Trading launched a fiat stored value wallet
2 - (“BAM Trading Fiat Wallet”). The BAM Trading Fiat Wallet maintained by BAM Trading enables users to hold US Dollars (“USD”) on BAM Trading’s platform; WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority granted by Sections 36a-17 and 36a-608(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Commissioner, through the Consumer Credit Division of the Department of Banking, participated in a multistate examination in May 2022, with a review period from November 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022, to determine if BAM Trading had violated, was violating or was about to violate the provisions of the Connecticut General Statutes within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner (“Examination and Investigation”); WHEREAS, on April 24, 2024, the Commissioner issued an Order of Summary Suspension, Temporary Order to Cease and Desist, Notice of Intent to Revoke and Refuse to Renew Money Transmission License, Notice of Intent to Issue Order to Cease and Desist, Notice of Intent to Impose Civil Penalty and Notice of Right to Hearing (“Order and Notice”) against BAM Trading, which Order and Notice is incorporated herein by reference; WHEREAS, the Commissioner alleged in the Order and Notice that: (1) BAM Trading failed to maintain the permissible investments required of money transmission licensees, in violation of Sections 36a-600(a)(1) and 36a-603(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes; (2) BAM Trading or its control person, parent corporation or affiliate’s multiple federal plea agreements and admissions of wrongdoing is conduct that is likely to otherwise materially prejudice the interests of Connecticut consumers, which constitutes an unsafe or unsound practice within the meaning of Section 36a-608(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes; (3) BAM Trading failed to file with NMLS not later than one business day of BAM Trading or its control person, parent corporation or affiliate’s multiple federal plea agreements and admissions of wrongdoing, in violation of Section 36a-598(e)(6) of the Connecticut General Statutes; (4) CZ’s convictions to felony charges in November 2023 while acting as a control person of BAM Trading per Section 36a-596(4) of the Connecticut General Statutes would be sufficient grounds for the Commissioner to deny an application for a money transmission license pursuant to Section 36a-600(b)(2) of the Connecticut General Statutes, and constitutes an unsafe or unsound practice within the meaning of
3 - Section 36a-608(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes; and (5) CZ’s admission to willfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act by causing BAM Trading to have an ineffective anti-money laundering program constitutes a violation of Section 36a-607(c)(4) of the Connecticut General Statutes; WHEREAS, the Commissioner also alleged in the Order and Notice that the totality of BAM Trading’s conduct caused the Commissioner to be unable to find that BAM Trading’s financial condition is sound, its business will be conducted honestly, fairly, equitably, carefully and efficiently within the purposes and intent of Sections 36a-595 to 36a-612, inclusive, of the Connecticut General Statutes, in a manner commanding the confidence and trust of the community, and BAM Trading’s control persons and qualified individual demonstrate financial responsibility and are in all respects properly qualified and of good character. Such failure establishes sufficient grounds for the Commissioner to deny an application for a money transmission license pursuant to subdivisions (1), (2), (3) and (4) of Section 36a-600(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes; WHEREAS, the Commissioner asserted that the allegations made in the Order and Notice constituted sufficient grounds to revoke and refuse to renew BAM Trading’s license to engage in the business of money transmission in Connecticut pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (2) of Section 36a-608(b) of the Connecticut General Statutes and subsections (a) and (b) of Section 36a-51 of the Connecticut General Statutes, formed the basis to issue an order to cease and desist against BAM Trading pursuant to Section 36a-608(c)(1) and 36a-52(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes, and to impose a civil penalty of up to One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) upon BAM Trading pursuant to Sections 36a-608(c)(1) and 36a-50(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes; WHEREAS, on April 24, 2024, the Order and Notice was sent via electronic mail to the individual designated as the primary company contact in the contact employee fields on NMLS and was deemed received on the earlier of the date of actual receipt or seven days after such Order and Notice was sent; WHEREAS, on May 7, 2024, BAM Trading requested a hearing, which is currently pending;
4 - WHEREAS, Section 4-177(c) of the Connecticut General Statutes and Section 36a-1-55(a) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies provide that a contested case may be resolved by consent order, unless precluded by law; WHEREAS, the Commissioner and BAM Trading acknowledge the possible consequences of further administrative proceedings, and BAM Trading voluntarily agrees to consent to the entry of the sanctions imposed below without admitting or denying the allegations in the Order and Notice and set forth herein, and solely for the purpose of obviating the need for further administrative proceedings concerning the allegations in the Order and Notice and set forth herein; WHEREAS, effective April 24, 2024, BAM Trading ceased onboarding new Connecticut customers in accordance with the Order and Notice. Further, effective May 2, 2024, BAM Trading also blocked users with zero balance accounts from conducting digital asset deposits; WHEREAS, BAM Trading represents that, pursuant to the terms of this Consent Order, it shall wind down operations in this state; WHEREAS, the Commissioner and BAM Trading now desire to resolve the matters alleged in the Order and Notice and set forth herein; WHEREAS, BAM Trading agrees that the Order and Notice may be used in construing the terms of this Consent Order and agrees to the language of this Consent Order; WHEREAS, BAM Trading acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to consult with and be represented by independent counsel in negotiating and reviewing this Consent Order and executes this Consent Order freely; WHEREAS, BAM Trading acknowledges that this Consent Order is a public record and is a reportable event for purposes of the regulatory disclosure questions on NMLS, as applicable; AND WHEREAS, BAM Trading, through its execution of this Consent Order, voluntarily agrees to waive its procedural rights, including an opportunity for a hearing as it pertains to the allegations contained in the Order and Notice and set forth herein, and voluntarily waives its right to seek judicial review or otherwise challenge or contest the validity of this Consent Order.
5 - CONSENT TO ENTRY OF SANCTIONS WHEREAS, BAM Trading, through its execution of this Consent Order, consents to the Commissioner’s entry of a Consent Order imposing the following sanctions: