Binance's Head of Crime Compliance Leaves Post Following Nigerian Detention
Binance's Former Financial Crime Compliance Head Departs Amid Leadership Shake-up
In a significant move, Tigran Gambaryan, the former Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, has announced his departure from the crypto exchange. This departure is part of a larger leadership shake-up at Binance that started in 2023.
Gambaryan, a former special agent at the IRS, spent four years at Binance, where he built a 100-person team consisting of ex-prosecutors, agents, and compliance experts. Under his leadership, Binance responded to over 57,000 law enforcement requests. Gambaryan played a key role in Binance's efforts to legitimize its operations amid growing regulatory scrutiny.
Tigran Gambaryan's departure from Binance follows an eight-month detention in Nigeria. He was detained by Nigerian authorities over allegations tied to his Binance role in 2024. Gambaryan was released from detention last fall after a health scare during his confinement.
Current Binance CEO Richard Teng, a former regulator, has steered Binance toward a more corporate, compliance-first direction. This shift is evident in the departure of at least 16 top executives from Binance in the past two years, including Chief Strategy Officer Patrick Hillmann and Compliance SVP Steven Christie.
Since leaving Binance, Gambaryan has not been publicly reported to hold a role specifically in the public sector or a mission-driven private organization. His experience is heavily centered on compliance, regulation, and law enforcement related to financial crime rather than explicitly mission-driven or public-sector roles post-Binance.
Despite the media attention around his detention in Nigeria and subsequent departure from Binance, no clear public data suggests he has transitioned into roles in public service or nonprofit sectors as of mid-2025. If he has assumed such a position, it has not been reported in leading crypto or financial news sources as of the latest updates in July and August 2025.
[1] CoinDesk (2025). "Binance's Tigran Gambaryan Leaves After Detention in Nigeria." [Online]. Available: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/07/21/binances-tigran-gambaryan-leaves-after-detention-in-nigeria/
[2] Bloomberg (2025). "Binance's Tigran Gambaryan Steps Down Amid Regulatory Scrutiny." [Online]. Available: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-03/binance-s-tigran-gambaryan-steps-down-amid-regulatory-scrutiny
[3] Reuters (2025). "Binance's Tigran Gambaryan Reveals Plans to Work at Intersection of Technology, Enforcement, and Compliance." [Online]. Available: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/binances-tigran-gambaryan-reveals-plans-work-intersection-technology-enforcement-compliance-2025-07-19/
[4] The Block (2025). "Binance's Tigran Gambaryan Departs After Detention in Nigeria." [Online]. Available: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/124672/binance-tigran-gambaryan-departs-after-detention-in-nigeria
[5] Cointelegraph (2025). "Binance's Tigran Gambaryan: From IRS Special Agent to Global Head of Financial Crime Compliance." [Online]. Available: https://cointelegraph.com/news/binance-s-tigran-gambaryan-from-irs-special-agent-to-global-head-of-financial-crime-compliance
Tigran Gambaryan, formerly Binance's Global Head of Financial Crime Compliance, has departed the company amidst broader leadership changes at the crypto exchange, as reported by CoinDesk [1], Bloomberg [2], Reuters [3], The Block [4], and Cointelegraph [5]. In his role, Gambaryan focused on navigating the intersection of technology, enforcement, and compliance within the business and finance sectors. Despite his expertise in general news, crime, and justice, it appears that as of mid-2025, his future career plans have not been clearly tied to public service or nonprofit organizations. Instead, following his departure from Binance, Gambaryan has refrained from taking on specific roles in these sectors and has not been reported to have assumed such positions in leading crypto or financial news sources [1-5].
