Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance and a former US federal agent, has announced his resignation from the cryptocurrency exchange. This comes months after his release from detention in Nigeria.
In a LinkedIn post on June 8, 2025, Gambaryan shared, “Today is my last day at Binance, marking the end of a chapter I’m deeply proud of.”
Gambaryan joined Binance in 2021 when the company, like many others in the crypto space at the time, lacked a dedicated investigations team. He praised Binance’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, for his strong support in establishing the unit.
“When I joined Binance, most crypto exchanges didn’t have an investigations team,” Gambaryan wrote. “But Binance had a founder committed to bringing experienced leadership to foster constructive engagement with law enforcement. His unwavering support has been invaluable, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me and the team.”
Over four years, Gambaryan built and led Binance’s first global investigations unit, growing it to over 100 professionals, including former federal agents, prosecutors, and analysts. The team worked to ensure Binance’s compliance with US and international law enforcement standards and trained thousands of officers worldwide on financial crime prevention.
He recalled some notable cases, such as aiding the Royal Thai Police in dismantling a \$270 million crypto fraud ring targeting citizens of Thailand and the US, identifying ISIS-linked wallets funding terror operations, and assisting Nigeria’s EFCC in recovering over \$400,000 in illicit funds while training over 70 agents in advanced blockchain investigations.
Gambaryan’s resignation follows a difficult period marked by his detention in Nigeria amid ongoing discussions about Binance’s operations there. Both he and Binance faced allegations of money laundering and tax evasion, charges they denied.
He was held for nearly eight months and later described harsh prison conditions and alleged attempts by Nigerian officials to extort a \$150 million bribe. The Nigerian government denied these claims, stating his detention was part of an investigation into suspected currency manipulation through Binance’s peer-to-peer platform, which they linked to the naira’s depreciation.
Gambaryan was released in October 2024 after diplomatic efforts by the US government. Nigerian authorities said the release was on humanitarian grounds and denied any bribery.
In his farewell message, Gambaryan expressed his intent to pursue new opportunities at the crossroads of technology, enforcement, and compliance.
“There is an increasing need for trusted, experienced professionals who can bridge technology, enforcement, and compliance,” he said. “That’s where I plan to continue contributing, whether in public service or mission-driven organizations.”
