Binance has filed a defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, in the Southern District of New York. The suit alleges a February 23 article contained at least 11 false statements and caused significant reputational harm, leading to Congressional inquiries. Binance claims it submitted corrections before publication that were disregarded and seeks compensatory and punitive damages through a jury trial.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, officially filed a defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones and Company on March 11, 2026. The legal complaint focuses on a Wall Street Journal article published on February 23, which reportedly contained at least 11 false statements regarding employee dismissals and customer registration practices. Binance asserts the employees left due to breaches of internal policies, not compliance-related issues, and that suspicious accounts were subsequently offboarded and reported to law enforcement.
Binance submitted detailed corrections to the Journal prior to publication, contesting claims that customers were knowingly registered with false documentation. The exchange was given less than one business day to respond to 27 detailed questions and points from the newspaper. Binance’s Global Head of Litigation, Dugan Bliss, stated “We view this lawsuit as a necessary step to defend ourselves against misinformation, hold The Wall Street Journal accountable for prioritizing clicks over journalistic integrity, and address the significant reputational harm and business consequences that have resulted.”
The article has since been cited by members of Congress as grounds for opening formal government inquiries. Senator Blumenthal opened an inquiry on February 24, and Democratic Senators wrote to the Attorney General and Treasury Secretary requesting investigations by February 27. Binance points to its compliance record as counter-evidence, noting it spent over $131 million on compliance efforts in 2025 and assisted in confiscating a similar amount tied to illicit activity. A separate Justice Department investigation into Iran’s alleged use of Binance to evade sanctions is ongoing.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and a restoration of reputation. Bliss added “This type of reporting erodes trust in the broader industry and undermines the efforts of those who are committed to protecting users and advancing positive innovation.” The case will be handled by Withers Bergman LLP, with a jury trial demanded. At the time of writing, the contested article remains online unchanged, and Dow Jones has not publicly responded.
