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Binance Hires Former Abu Dhabi Global Market Head as Singapore CEO

The move provides an opportunity to get ahead of the regulatory curve – a sore point for the exchange in recent weeks.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 1:43 p.m. Published Aug 23, 2021, 2:33 a.m.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao

Binance has hired Richard Teng, the former CEO of Abu Dhabi's financial watchdog, to head the exchange's operations in Singapore, the company said in a press release on Monday.

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  • Teng had reportedly been in talks with the exchange's Singapore subsidiary business to join as early as last week, CoinDesk reported.
  • The move can be viewed as an opportunity to get ahead of the regulatory curve which has been a cause of consternation for the exchange in recent weeks.
  • Binance Singapore offers Singapore citizens and residents trading pairs for bitcoin, ether and Binance coin. The platform provides SGD deposit and withdrawal functionality via Xfers Direct, according to a press release on Monday.
  • Teng spent six years at the Financial Services Regulatory Authority at Abu Dhabi Global Market as its head.
  • He also spent seven years as the chief regulatory officer of the Singapore exchange and 13 years with the Money Authority of Singapore, according to his Linkedin profile.

Read more: Binance Appoints Former US Treasury Enforcer to Anti-Money Laundering Role

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

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Bitcoin behaves more like an "ATM" during uncertain times, with investors quickly selling it to raise cash.

What to know:

  • During recent geopolitical tensions, Bitcoin lost 6.6% of its value, while gold rose 8.6%, demonstrating bitcoin's vulnerability in times of market stress.
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