Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been silently shutting down multiple accounts on the platform in relation to the Bitzlato investigation, according to several users.

On Jan. 18, a group of Russian-speaking Binance clients complained about blocked accounts and not being able to withdraw their funds from the exchange. The affected users created a Telegram group chat to report about the issues, stating that the accounts were blocked without a warning.

A spokesperson for Binance told Cointelegraph that the recent suspensions were indeed connected to Bitzlato. “Last week, our compliance and investigations team, in relation to the Bitzlato case, suspended some users’ accounts from several countries including in Eastern Europe and the CIS,” the representative stated.

Binance’s spokesperson emphasized that the majority of the suspensions were temporary, stating:

“At the moment, more than 90% of the accounts have been unlocked, users have been notified about this. All funds are safe. Affected users — less than 20 — have been provided with relevant law enforcement contact information.”

The crypto exchange also advised users to have a look at Binance’s article on multiple reasons why their Binance account might be blocked and what to do in such a situation.

(By HELEN PARTZ)