The Interpol website does not list a public red notice for Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao from April 3, despite rumors that such a notice has been issued.
There is no record of Zhao on the Interpol website
CryptoSlate found no mention of Zhao or colleague Samuel Lim among the nearly 7,000 Red Notices publicly listed on Interpol’s website.
CryptoSlate has also contacted Interpol, asking the organization to confirm or deny the rumour. The agency did not respond until the time the news was published.
Earlier, UpOnly podcast host Jordan Fish — aka Cobie — circulated a rumor suggesting that Zhao had received a red notice. Cobie posted an encrypted tweet on Twitter which, when decrypted, simply read: “Interpol Red Notice for Czechoslovakia.”
Cobie’s Twitter account is currently protected, which means that any other comments he may have made on the matter are only known to his verified followers.
The rumor was widely circulated through the Twitter account hewctrades, which initially said it would withdraw funds from Binance in response to the event. He has not commented on the matter since then.
Zhao’s legal status is uncertain
Despite the lack of public information, it is possible that police forces privately circulated a red notice against Chow. It is also possible that the notification is pending approval. However, there is no evidence in the end that any kind of notice existed or was leaked.
The Interpol website also downplays the importance of the Red Notice. If such a notice were issued, it would not amount to an international arrest warrant or require the arresting country to take action against Zhao. Instead, it would amount to a request for the authorities to locate and temporarily arrest Zhao and hand him over to the country that requested the notice.
On March 27, the CFTC charged Zhao and related parties with regulatory evasion and operating an illegal exchange. Presumably, any possible red notice related to this development will only help pay fees that have already been submitted.
It is unclear whether any other countries have ongoing cases against Zhao.