Binance CEO quits, pleads guilty, and must pay millions in fines

PLUS: DOJ Charges Binance With Vast Money-Laundering Scheme and Sanctions Violations, and more. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions]( [11.21.23](   [Binance logo seen on their headquarters building]( CRYPTO WOES | 3-MINUTE READ [DOJ Charges Binance With Vast Money-Laundering Scheme and Sanctions Violations]( BY ANDY GREENBERG [From Russia to Iran, the feds have charged Binance with allegedly conducting well over $1 billion in transactions with sanctioned countries and criminal actors.](   [Silhouette of Donald Trump on stage]( DOG EAT DOG | 4-MINUTE READ [Inside the Operation to Bring Down Trump’s Truth Social]( BY DAVID GILBERT [The North Atlantic Fella Organization is trying to shut down Trump’s flailing social media platform before the 2024 election—by shitposting.](   [Person sitting on a stage with half of the frame fading into black]( KNOWN UNKNOWN | 3-MINUTE READ [The Mystery at the Heart of the OpenAI Chaos]( BY WILL KNIGHT [Last week Sam Altman was sensationally fired from OpenAI, tipping the AI company into chaos. It remains unclear what made the board decide to act.](   [Person speaking into a microphone in front of a blue screen]( BREAKING NEWS | 2-MINUTE READ [Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Quits, Pleads Guilty, and Must Pay $200 Million in Fines]( BY JOEL KHALILI [Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, will step down and plead guilty to violating money-laundering requirements as part of a DOJ settlement. The company will also pay $4.3 billion in fines.]( ADVERTISEMENT [GET WIRED]( [Stay WIRED-IN during our exclusive Black Friday Sale. Get full gear + gift coverage with a subscription to WIRED for just]([$29.99 $5.](Plus free stickers! Subscribe Now.   [SpaceX's Starship rocket launching from Starbase]( WHAT GOES UP | 5-MINUTE READ [Here’s What’s Next for SpaceX’s Starship]( BY RAMIN SKIBBA [A second Starship test flight advanced a bit farther than the first, with the rocket reaching the edge of space but blowing up soon after. Industry experts say it’s still a step forward.](   [A Telsa electric car amongst other vehicles and taxi cabs at dusk in the middle of Times Square, NYC ]( GREEN RIDES | 5-MINUTE READ [New York Wants More Electric Ubers. Everyone Is Mad]( BY AARIAN MARSHALL [New York City is lagging in the electric vehicle transition, and officials want to speed it up. What could go wrong? Well, the court’s involved now.](   [Person in suit sitting on stage]( LAWYER UP | 3-MINUTE READ [Elon Musk’s Media Matters Lawsuit Will Have a ‘Chilling Effect’]( BY VITTORIA ELLIOTT [Musk has filed his “thermonuclear” suit against Media Matters for America at the same time the Texas attorney general launched an investigation into the nonprofit.](   [Sam Altman]( NERD FIGHT | 6-MINUTE READ [How OpenAI’s Bizarre Structure Gave 4 People the Power to Fire Sam Altman]( BY PARESH DAVE [Chaos at OpenAI has its root in an unusual corporate structure designed to protect humanity against rogue AI—some investors had expressed fears it could weaken the company.](   [Aerial view of the New Orleans city skyline and residential homes]( FOR RENT | 4-MINUTE READ [New Orleans Tried to Control Vacation Rentals With a Lottery. It Was a Mess]( BY AMANDA HOOVER [In trying to limit the impact of short-term rentals like Airbnbs, New Orleans used an elaborate lottery system to pit neighbors against each other. A lawsuit from angry hosts has put it in limbo.](   Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [AI Content Writer]( [DataAnnotation]( Location: Atlanta, GA, USA [APPLY NOW]( [IT Developer]( [Poarch Band of Creek Indians]( [Location: Poarch, AL, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( ADVERTISEMENT [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( [TikTok]( Have questions or comments? [Reply to this email](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=WIRED%20Newsletter%20Questions,%20Comments%20or%20Feedback). This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.