Binance Discontinue Russian Ruble

The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has announced its decision to discontinue support for Russian Ruble (RUB) trading pairs starting 31 January 2024.

Binance stated in a notice:

"Following the decision of exiting Russia with sale to CommEx, Binance P2P will no longer support the Russian Ruble (RUB) trading pairs,"

Binance Exit from Russia

Binance declared its complete withdrawal from the Russian market by selling its business to the recently established crypto exchange, CommEX, in September 2023.

The transaction raised concerns due to the limited disclosure of details, such as the deal's size and CommEX's founders, prompting speculation within the crypto community.

Some observers suspect CommEX might be a rebranding effort for Binance, allowing the exchange to operate in Russia amid Western sanctions.

Skeptics point to CommEX hiring former Russia-related executives from Binance as substantial evidence supporting these claims.

Binance's decision to exit Russia follows scrutiny from the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control earlier this year, leading to the sale of Binance's Russian exchange.

Transition to CommEX

Despite the sale, Binance has maintained Ruble trading on its peer-to-peer (P2P) platform.

However, the exchange now plans to cease RUB support entirely to enhance compliance efforts.

Binance's spokesperson said:

"With this sale, Binance fully exits Russia. We have no plans to get back,"

Users can still execute fee-free ruble trades on CommEX using their Binance accounts until the deadline.

Binance allows withdrawals of rubles via fiat partners, conversion to crypto, or trading on the Binance spot market.

Binance Responds to Global Regulations

This move aligns with Binance's broader efforts to scale back services associated with Russia amid increasing global regulatory pressures on centralised exchanges.

The decision comes in the aftermath of Binance's settlement with Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in November 2023, involving a $3.4 billion fine for apparent violations of multiple sanctions programs.

The settlement mandates significant remedial measures, including enhanced compliance policies, mandatory Know-Your-Customer (KYC) for all users, and periodic customer reviews.