Binance employee Gambaryan resigns after Nigerian detention
The Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance and former US Federal Agent, Tigran Gambaryan, has resigned from the cryptocurrency exchange months after his release from detention in Nigeria.
He announced his departure in a LinkedIn post seen on Sunday, June 8, 2025, stating, “Today is my last day at Binance, marking the end of a chapter I’m deeply proud of.”
Gambaryan joined Binance in 2021, at a time when the exchange, like many others in the crypto industry, lacked a dedicated investigations team.
Gambaryan credited Binance’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, with supporting the creation of the unit.
“When I joined Binance, like most crypto exchanges at the time, it didn’t have an investigations team.
But it did have a founder who was committed to bringing in experienced leadership to help the company engage more constructively with law enforcement,” he wrote.
“His support for our mission never wavered, and I’ll always be grateful for the trust he placed in me and the team,” he further stated.
Over his four-year tenure, Gambaryan built and led Binance’s first global investigations function, expanding it to more than 100 professionals, including former federal agents, prosecutors, and analysts.
He said the team worked to align Binance with both US and international enforcement standards and trained thousands of law enforcement officers worldwide in financial crime prevention.
“Some cases I will never forget include assisting the Royal Thai Police in dismantling a $270 m crypto fraud network targeting American and Thai citizens; identifying ISIS-linked wallets funding international terror operations, leading to arrests and disrupted flows; and supporting Nigeria’s EFCC in recovering over $400,000 in illicit funds and training more than 70 of their agents in advanced blockchain investigations,” Gambaryan wrote.
The Binance chief’s resignation follows a turbulent period in which he was detained by the Nigerian government during discussions about Binance’s operations in the country. He and the company were accused of money laundering and tax evasion, allegations both denied.
Gambaryan was held for nearly eight months and later bemoaned harsh prison conditions, claiming that Nigerian officials attempted to extort a $150m bribe.
The Federal Government strongly denied the allegation, insisting his detention was part of a broader investigation into suspected currency manipulation through Binance’s peer-to-peer platform, which officials blamed for contributing to the naira’s depreciation.
He was released in October 2024 following diplomatic intervention by the US government. The Federal Government said the release was granted on humanitarian grounds and maintained that no bribes were solicited or received.
In his farewell note, Gambaryan said he now plans to pursue new challenges at the intersection of technology, enforcement, and compliance.
He said, “There’s a growing need for trusted, experienced operators, people who understand how to translate between technology, enforcement, and compliance.
“That’s where I intend to continue making a difference, whether back in public service or with a mission-driven institution.”
