By Kolawole Ojebisi
Months after regaining his freedom from the clutches of the Nigerian government, the Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance and former US Federal Agent, Tigran Gambaryan, has resigned from the cryptocurrency exchange.
Gambaryan made his resignation known in a LinkedIn post seen on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
The post reads in part, “Today is my last day at Binance, marking the end of a chapter I’m deeply proud of.”According to his profile, Gambaryan joined Binance in 2021. Gambaryan claimed that he joined Binance at its inchoate stage when the exchange, like many others in the crypto industry, lacked a dedicated investigations team.
Highlighting what he achieved during his over his four-year tenure, Gambaryan said he built and led Binance’s first global investigations function, expanding it to more than 100 professionals, including former federal agents, prosecutors, and analysts.
He reflected on how the team, under his leadership, worked to align Binance with both US and international enforcement standards and trained thousands of law enforcement officers worldwide in financial crime prevention.
“Some cases I will never forget include assisting the Royal Thai Police in dismantling a $270 m crypto fraud network targeting American and Thai citizens; identifying ISIS-linked wallets funding international terror operations, leading to arrests and disrupted flows; and supporting Nigeria’s EFCC in recovering over $400,000 in illicit funds and training more than 70 of their agents in advanced blockchain investigations,” Gambaryan wrote.
The Binance chief’s resignation comes months after his brush with the Federal Government.Recall that his trouble with the government started following the latter’s accusation of Gambaryan and his employer, Binance, of money laundering and tax evasion.
Though the company denied both allegations, Gambaryan and a colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, witnessed a turbulent period in Nigeria as they were detained by the government while investigations about Binance’s operations in the country lasted.
Anjarwalla would later “miraculously” escape from custody days after their arrest.
Gambaryan, however, was not that lucky as he was held for nearly eight months in custody.He later bemoaned harsh prison conditions, claiming that Nigerian officials attempted to extort a $150m bribe.
The Federal Government strongly denied the allegation, insisting his detention was part of a broader investigation into suspected currency manipulation through Binance’s peer-to-peer platform, which officials blamed for contributing to the naira’s depreciation.
He was released in October 2024 following diplomatic intervention by the US government.The Federal Government said the release was granted on humanitarian grounds and maintained that no bribes were solicited or received.
Hiwever, in his farewell note to his firm, Gambaryan said he now plans to pursue new challenges at the intersection of technology, enforcement, and compliance.
He said, “There’s a growing need for trusted, experienced operators, people who understand how to translate between technology, enforcement, and compliance.
“That’s where I intend to continue making a difference, whether back in public service or with a mission-driven institution.”
