Binance, CZ Have 'Blood Money On Their Hands,' Says Nouriel Roubini: 'Negative Energy Is To Allow $8B Laundering' By Iran

Prominent economist Nouriel Roubini accused Binance BUSD/USD and its CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao of "having blood money on their hands," alleging the cryptocurrency company of enabling the Iranian regime to launder funds.

The tweets by Roubini come in the wake of Zhao's response to the economist, popularly known as "Dr. Doom", lambasting the Binance CEO. 

What Happened: Roubini earlier this week described Zhao as one of the “seven Cs of crypto” — an unflattering list that also included “concealed, corrupt, crooks, criminals, con men, carnival barkers,” according to a CNBC report.

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When asked about this, Zhao responded by saying, “We don’t care,” a CNBC report stated. “Negative energy doesn’t make it far in life and those people will generally stay poor,” he reportedly said, implying the economist was “very impolite” and somebody who “doesn’t know the local custom."

Roubini’s Response: Roubini went on to say, “Negative energy is to allow $8 billion money laundering by a regime in Iran that kills women and young girls, arrests them and tortures them by the 1000s," adding that CZ and his company had "blood money" on their hands. 

“Negative energy” is to allow $8bn money laundering by a regime in Iran that kills women and young girls, arrests them and tortures them by the 1000s. @cz_binance and @binance have blood money on their hands. That is why the US Justice Department is going after them. #MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/SjsW5WD8tH

— Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel) November 17, 2022

“That is why the US Justice Department is going after them,” he said.

Binance and CZ did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.

Roubini also accused Binance of helping Iranian Revolutionary Guards launder $8 billion and allowing "the Houthis in Yemen to attack the UAE," adding that this is also why the U.S. Justice Department is investigating Binance and would go after CZ personally.

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Photo by World Economic Forum on Flickr