Business
US SEC Sues Binance Over Inflating Trading Volumes

On Monday, US SEC officials sued Binance and its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, for allegedly operating a “web of deception,” putting additional pressure on the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange and driving bitcoin to its lowest level in nearly three months.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint, which was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., named 13 accusations against Binance, Zhao, and the operator of its ostensibly independent U.S. exchange.
The SEC charged Binance with inflating its trading volumes, diverting customer funds, failing to prohibit U.S. customers from its platform, and misleading investors about its market surveillance mechanisms.
The SEC also said that Binance and Zhao, its wealthy creator and one of the crypto industry’s most prominent figures, surreptitiously controlled its customers’ assets, allowing them to mix and redirect investor cash “as they please.”
The SEC also claimed that Binance established distinct U.S. corporations “as part of an elaborate scheme to evade U.S. federal securities laws,” citing a number of practises first disclosed by Reuters in a series of investigations into the exchange published this year and in 2022.
Sigma Chain, a trading firm owned and controlled by Zhao, participated in so-called wash trading that fraudulently inflated the trading volume of crypto asset securities on Binance from approximately three years ago until June 2022.The SEC further claimed that the site was based in the United States. According to the SEC, Sigma Chain spent $11 million from an account on a yacht.
“We allege that Zhao and Binance entities engaged in an extensive web of deception, conflicts of interest, lack of disclosure, and calculated evasion of the law,” said SEC Chairman Gary Gensler in a statement.
“We intend to defend our platform vigorously,” Binance wrote in a blog post, adding that “because Binance is not a U.S. exchange, the SEC’s actions are limited in reach.”
“All user assets on Binance and Binance affiliate platforms, including Binance.US, are safe and secure,” according to a blog post.
Binance said in a statement that it had “actively cooperated” with the SEC “from the beginning” and “respectfully disagreed” with the SEC’s assertions. Binance attempted to reach a “reasonable resolution” with the SEC, but the agency “at the eleventh hour” issued new requests and filed a lawsuit. According to Binance, the SEC’s moves appear to be an attempt to “claim jurisdictional ground from other regulators.”
Binance.In a tweet, US, which is ultimately controlled by Zhao, claimed the action was “unjustified by the facts, the law, or the Commission’s own precedent.”
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, dropped as much as 6% on the news, reaching its lowest level in nearly three months. Binance’s cryptocurrency BNB, the world’s fourth-largest by market capitalization, fell more than 5%.
Market participants believe the SEC’s charges might stymie Binance, with the case likely to resonate throughout the cryptocurrency market. Binance dominates cryptocurrency trading, processing $65 billion in trades each day last year.
According to a March study from CCData, Binance’s spot market share across top-tier exchanges declined for the first time in five months in March, to 57.7% from 62.0% in February. However, its derivatives trading volume increased.
“I think there’s a big risk here that this could be crippling to Binance,” said Ed Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda.
The SEC case is the latest in a string of legal woes for Binance, which was previously sued by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in March for operating a “illegal” exchange and a “sham” compliance programme, according to the regulator. Zhao referred to them as a “incomplete recitation of facts.”
According to persons familiar with the inquiry, Binance is also being investigated by the Justice Department for alleged money laundering and sanctions violations.
Binance’s holding company is situated in the Cayman Islands. It was launched in 2017 in Shanghai by CEO Zhao, a Canadian citizen who was born and raised in China until the age of 12. The exchange claims to have no headquarters and has refused to reveal the location of its primary Binance.com exchange.
The SEC claimed that Zhao devised and carried out a scheme to “surreptitiously evade U.S. laws.” According to the agency, Binance’s chief compliance officer stated, “We do not want [Binance].com to be regulated ever.” It claimed Zhao directed Binance.US, despite the fact that the US entity has long claimed independence.
According to the SEC, billions of dollars in Binance consumer assets were commingled, or mixed with business funds, in violation of US rules, in a bank account managed by Zhao, and then transferred to a trading firm, Merit Peak, which is also controlled by Zhao.
Reuters revealed last month that Binance mixed its customers’ cash with corporate revenues in a Merit Peak-owned bank account in the United States. Binance denied mixing customer and business cash, claiming that users who contributed money to the account were not making deposits but rather purchasing Binance’s own dollar-linked crypto token.
Prior to the SEC action, Reuters reported on Monday that a senior Binance executive was the key operator for five bank accounts belonging to BAM Trading, the operator of Binance.US, including one that handled American users’ assets.
The SEC stated that the executive has “signatory authority over BAM Trading’s U.S. Dollar accounts” until at least December 2020.
6 Facts About Binance You Should Know in (2023)
Business
PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.
This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.
Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.
Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.
The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.
Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.
Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.
The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.
Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.
Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.
Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.
Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.
Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”
Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.
The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.
Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.
The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.
Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”
Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.
The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.
Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.
The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:
SOURCE: CNBC
SEE ALSO:
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
Business
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.
This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.
For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.
This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.
Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”
This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.
This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.
Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.
Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.
Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.
This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.
It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.
Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”
This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.
We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.
Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.
SOURCE: THBL
SEE ALSO:
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children
Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight
Business
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.
According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
SOURCE | AP
-
News3 years ago
Let’s Know About Ultra High Net Worth Individual
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Mabelle Prior: The Voice of Hope, Resilience, and Diversity Inspiring Generations
-
Health3 years ago
How Much Ivermectin Should You Take?
-
Tech2 years ago
Top Forex Brokers of 2023: Reviews and Analysis for Successful Trading
-
Lifestyles2 years ago
Aries Soulmate Signs
-
Movies2 years ago
What Should I Do If Disney Plus Keeps Logging Me Out of TV?
-
Health3 years ago
Can I Buy Ivermectin Without A Prescription in the USA?
-
Learning2 years ago
Virtual Numbers: What Are They For?