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Binance’s Co-founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks during the 2022 Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 1, 2022.

Nurphoto | Getty Images

Binance’s VIP users were granted a set of special privileges, including an early heads-up from the crypto exchange if they were under investigation by law enforcement, according to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the U.S. and stepped down from his post on Tuesday as part of a $4.3 billion settlement. The plea deal resolves a multi-year investigation into the world’s largest crypto exchange.

Treasury alleged in a 92-page order that Binance had “developed a process to notify VIP users if they became the subject of a law enforcement inquiry,” in a setup where Binance was effectively serving as a lookout for its top-tier customers.

The process, as described by FinCEN, was relatively simple. Members of Binance’s VIP team were instructed to contact the user under investigation by “all available means” including sending texts and calling to inform customers, for example, that their account had been frozen or unfrozen.

According to the consent order, Binance’s VIP team staff were warned not to be too obvious in their tips.

“‘We cannot in any circumstances directly tell the user to run/withdraw, we can get sued or undertake personal liability. Giving a strong hint[,] such as your account is unlocked/your account has been investigated by XXX is usually a good enough hint of severity,'” the company told the VIP team, the order said.

Binance’s “VIP Program” caters to higher volume, commercially important users and offers incentives such as competitive trading fees and higher limits on order volume to try to keep these patrons happy — and loyal.

According to FinCEN, internal reports from Binance indicated that in 2019, VIP customers “consistently accounted for between two-thirds and three-quarters of both trading volume and trading revenue on Binance.com, adding that “Binance thus had significant commercial motivations to go to great lengths to support these VIP users.”

Despite rules forbidding people in the U.S. from trading on the platform, users in the U.S. “represented a crucial element of the VIP userbase,” at some points accounting for as much as 20% of all transaction fees on the exchange.

FinCEN found that Binance helped U.S. customers, including the most commercially lucrative U.S. Enterprise Users in Binance’s VIP program, to circumvent the ringfencing policies the exchange itself had put into place to comply with local laws.

One such approach included encouraging users to alter know-your-customer documentation to give the false impression they were not in the U.S., as well as using a virtual private network, or VPN, to cover a user’s geographic footprint, “even though Binance would know that the user was, in fact, located in the United States.”

“These users were so valuable to Binance that personnel were instructed not to off-board them,” read the FinCEN report.

In Dec. 2020, a member of Binance’s VIP team wrote, “We will not be restricting the top 100 [users] (even after sending them emails [about restrictions applicable to U.S. users who remained on Binance.com]). They will be managed by your [VIP] team. [The CEO’s] idea is that they should have enough time to create or find new non-US entities,” the consent order stated.

FinCEN said that Binance ultimately executed on this plan and took additional steps to conceal its retention of U.S. users.

CNBC’s Christina Wilkie contributed to this report.

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The new Kia EV6 GT is a 650 hp powerhouse and it’s even more affordable

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The new Kia EV6 GT is a 650 hp powerhouse and it's even more affordable

The new EV6 GT is the fastest Kia vehicle to date, packing nearly 650 horsepower. It’s quicker than a Ferrari and less than half the cost. Kia’s first electric sports car just got a big upgrade with added power, style, in-car tech, and more “GT” than ever before. And somehow, it’s even cheaper than the outgoing model in the UK.

Meet the new Kia EV6 GT, an affordable electric sports car

In 2021, Kia introduced the EV6 GT, its most powerful production vehicle ever made, boasting 576 hp. With a significant mid-life refresh, the new model takes it to the next level.

Powered by a dual-motor AWD powertrain, the new Kia EV6 GT is now capable of producing up to 650 hp (+11% from the outgoing model) and 770 Nm (+4%) max torque.

The added power is good for a 0 to 62 mph sprint in just 3.5 seconds. It’s also equipped with a new 84 kWh battery pack, 8.5% bigger than the previous EV6 GT, providing a WLTP range of up to 279 miles.

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With 800V ultra-rapid charging capabilities, the Kia EV6 refresh can recharge from 10% to 80% in as little as 18 minutes, even with the bigger battery.

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The new Kia EV6 GT (Source: Kia UK)

Kia added a few fun features, including an enhanced GT Mode, which “unleashes the full, untapped potential of the EV6” with max power and torque at the push of a button. A dedicated neon button on the steering wheel activates the new dedicated drive mode.

The new model features the popular Virtual Gear Shift, a first for a Kia vehicle. Borrowed from the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, the feature simulates the feeling and sounds of a six-speed paddle-operated transmission.

Kia-new-EV6-GT
The new Kia EV6 GT interior (Source: Kia UK)

Kia refined the interior with “a significant overhaul,” including new materials and its next-gen infotainment system.

The new Kia connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) infotainment system features dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens in a curved panoramic setup.

Kia-new-EV6-GT-UK
Kia EV6 GT refresh interior (Source: Kia UK)

Kia opened orders for the EV6 GT refresh in the UK on Wednesday, June 18, starting at £59,985 ($80,500), a £2,690 ($3,500) price reduction from the previous model. Deliveries in the UK will begin over the next few days.

The new EV6 GT was first launched in Korea last November, starting at 72.2 million won ($50,000). According to a Kia official, the upgraded model “will become a new standard that will change the paradigm of high-performance electric vehicles.”

The 2025 EV6 GT starts at $63,800 in the US, with up to 641 hp. That’s nearly half the cost of the Porsche Taycan 4S, which starts at $119,400. It also has a built-in NACS port, allowing you to recharge at Tesla Superchargers.

Looking to test out Kia’s electric sports car for yourself? We’ve got you covered. You can use our link to find 2025 Kia EV6 GT models in your area (trusted affiliate link).

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Pro-Israel hackers destroy $90 million in Iran crypto exchange breach, analytics firm says

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Pro-Israel hackers destroy  million in Iran crypto exchange breach, analytics firm says

Dado Ruvic | Reuters

Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex, was hacked for more than $90 million Wednesday, according to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic.

The funds were drained from platform wallets into addresses bearing anti-government messages explicitly referencing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, pointing to a politically motivated cyberattack, Elliptic said.

Pro-Israel hacking group Gonjeshke Darande, or “Predatory Sparrow,” claimed responsibility for the attack and said it would release the exchange’s source code. Elliptic said the exchange was offline at the time of its post.

Predatory Sparrow also claimed credit for a separate cyberattack on Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah this week.

Fighting erupted between Israel and Iran on Friday and the countries have continued to trade missile fire. Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened the U.S. with “irreparable damage” Wednesday in response to President Donald Trump’s demand that the country surrender.

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Though the stolen assets have not been conclusively attributed to the group, Elliptic said the funds were sent to cryptographic addresses the hackers likely cannot control — suggesting the money was intentionally destroyed as a symbolic act rather than stolen for profit.

Elliptic’s research linked the exchange to the IRGC, a powerful branch of the military designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and Canada.

Past investigations have connected the platform to sanctioned IRGC-linked ransomware operatives and individuals close to Khamenei.

Blockchain data also shows activity between the Nobitex exchange and wallets associated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis.

Elliptic said it’s continuing to monitor virtual asset flows tied to Iranian entities and has updated its compliance tools to reflect emerging threats in the region’s crypto ecosystem.

Former Mossad analyst: The ideal outcome of the conflict should be an Iran with no nuclear program

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U.S. Steel ceases trading on the NYSE as Japan’s Nippon finalizes takeover

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U.S. Steel ceases trading on the NYSE as Japan's Nippon finalizes takeover

Rolls of steel are seen before the US president speaks during a rally at US Steel – Irvin Works in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2025.

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

U.S. Steel shares stopped trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday after Japan’s Nippon Steel completed its acquisition of the iconic American industrial name.

President Donald Trump has insisted for weeks that the companies would form a “partnership” in which U.S. Steel would remain American owned.

But the New York Stock Exchange notified the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday that U.S. Steel’s shares would be removed from listing, after the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Steel North America.

U.S. Steel shares stopped trading at 8:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday after Nippon completed its acquisition, according to a notice from the NYSE. The delisting will be effective on June 30, NYSE said.

Trump opposed Nippon’s bid to acquire U.S. Steel in the runup to the 2024 presidential, but he changed his mind after he took office. Trump ordered a new review of the deal in April after former President Joe Biden had blocked Nippon’s acquisition in January, citing national security concerns.

Trump announced a “partnership” between U.S. and Nippon in a May 23 post on his social media platform Truth Social, causing confusion among investors and union members about whether the structure of the original deal had changed somehow.

U.S. Steel and Nippon started adopting the president’s “partnership” language, though they never backed off from the terms of the original December 2023 merger agreement in their filings with SEC. U.S. Steel will continue to operate under its name though it will be subsidiary of Nippon.

Golden share

Trump did compel U.S. Steel and Nippon to sign a national security agreement with the U.S. government as condition for him clearing the deal.

The U.S. president will wield a “golden share” under the terms of the agreement. U.S. Steel said Wednesday that the golden share gives the president veto power over the following decisions:

  • Changing U.S. Steel’s name or moving its headquarters from Pittsburgh
  • Moving U.S. Steel outside the U.S.
  • Moving production or jobs outside the U.S.
  • Some decisions regarding the closure or idling of U.S. Steel’s domestic manufacturing facilities, trade, labor, and sourcing outside the U.S.
  • Reductions in capital investments under the national security agreement.
  • Material acquisitions of competing businesses in the U.S.

A majority of U.S. Steel’s board members and its CEO will be U.S. citizens, according to the terms of the national security agreement. Nippon also agreed that U.S. Steel will remain incorporated in the U.S.

Nippon will invest $11 billion in U.S. Steel by 2028, including $1 billion in initial spending on a greenfield project that will be completed after 2028, according to the agreement.

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