Binance CEO Richard Teng has issued a powerful response to the Nigerian government’s allegations regarding the company’s operations in the country. The ongoing legal battle has seen Binance and two of its executives, Nadeem Arjarwalla and Tigran Gambaryan, face charges of money laundering and tax evasion. The case, initially scheduled for October 11, has now been brought forward to September 2 following requests from the defense.
The Nigerian government claims that Binance earned $26 billion in revenue from its activities within the country in 2023. Teng, however, firmly denied this accusation ahead of the September 2 hearing in Binance vs. Nigeria lawsuit. He clarifying that the figure cited by the Nigerian authorities is misleading. “The Government has said that we made $26B in revenue from Nigeria in 2023. That is not the case,” Teng stated in an official statement.
He explained that the exchange’s transaction volume in Nigeria for 2023 was $21.6 billion, which is much less than the claimed revenue generated in the region. Hence, the actual revenue generated has to be much lesser. The Binance CEO further elaborated, “Our actual revenue is based on charging a small percentage of transaction fees, and we are proud to offer our users some of the lowest fees of any exchange globally.”
The case against the crypto exchange also includes allegations that the company’s activities contributed to the depreciation of the Nigerian Naira. Teng refuted these claims, attributing the naira’s decline to broader macroeconomic factors rather than Binance’s operations. “Another claim made by the Nigerian government was that Binance was responsible for its currency’s decline, which is not backed up by facts,” the Binance CEO asserted.
Teng provided a detailed account of the Naira’s exchange rate movements, noting that between 2021 and 2022, the naira traded within a relatively narrow range. He pointed out that the most significant drop occurred after the Nigerian government ended the Naira’s currency peg in June 2023, leading to a dramatic depreciation.
“The Naira traded at a recent low of USD1:1,660 on July 31, 2024, representing a 50% decline from the start of 2024,” Teng said. He emphasized that this downward trend continued even after the exchange ceased offering its peer-to-peer (P2P) services in the country in February 2024.
A significant aspect of the controversy involves the detention of Tigran Gambaryan. He is Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, who has been held in Nigeria since February. Binance CEO Teng expressed deep concern over Gambaryan’s deteriorating health and the Nigerian government’s refusal to provide adequate medical care or allow him access to legal counsel.
“Tigran’s physical and mental conditions have deteriorated rapidly, and his situation is now more dire than ever. He is in severe pain and unable to walk due to a herniated disc,” Teng revealed. The CEO also condemned the Nigerian government’s alleged failure to comply with court orders demanding the release of Gambaryan’s medical records and the denial of access to his U.S. consulate representative.
Teng characterized these actions as “inexplicable” and appealed for Gambaryan’s release on humanitarian grounds. “I appeal once again for the Nigerian government to allow him to go home to his family on humanitarian grounds so that he can seek the appropriate medical treatment in the US,” Teng urged.
In his statement, the Binance CEO called on the U.S. government to intervene and designate Gambaryan as one of its “unlawfully detained” citizens overseas. He also appealed to the international community to voice their concerns about the Nigerian government’s actions.
“People globally should add their voices and concerns, convincing the Nigerian government such unilateral action without a strong basis will be detrimental to the long-term economic development and well-being of the country,” he said.
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