Brooklyn DA says Binance routes law enforcement requests through UAE, slowing fraud investigations

When you’re chasing stolen crypto, every hour matters. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office is learning that lesson the hard way, as Binance’s new data-request policy forces American prosecutors to go through United Arab Emirates authorities just to access user records tied to fraud investigations. Assistant DA Alona Katz, who works on digital asset cases, put it bluntly. “How fast you get your records determines the outcome of your case.” And right now, those records are taking a lot longer to arrive. What changed at Binance In April 2025, Binance rolled out a new routing policy for foreign law enforcement requests. Under the updated framework, most data requests from authorities outside the UAE now need to be processed through UAE agencies or formal Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties, known as MLATs. Binance, for its part, says it still responds directly to urgent cases involving child exploitation and terrorism. The exchange also maintains that its overall cooperation with law enforcement has improved year-over-year. The DOJ weighs in The Brooklyn DA’s office isn’t alone in raising alarms. A memo from the US Department of Justice flagged concerns about reduced cooperation from ...