Binance proprietor and CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has agreed to step down and plead guilty to breaking anti-money laundering legal guidelines, in keeping with reports from The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. This comes as a part of the foremost settlement the Department of Justice is anticipated to announce this afternoon, which can reportedly require Binance to fork over $4.3 billion in fines.

Even although Zhao can not assume an government position at Binance, the WSJ studies the phrases of the settlement will let Zhao maintain his majority possession of the world’s largest cryptocurrency trade. Zhao is anticipated to enter his plea at a Seattle courtroom on Tuesday, with sentencing to return at a later date. Richard Teng, Binance’s head of regional markets, is within the working to take Zhao’s place, according to Forbes.

The Securities and Exchange Commission first sued Binance and Zhao in June, accusing the crypto trade of working illegally within the US whereas defrauding buyers. The company additionally tried to freeze Binance’s property over claims the trade engaged in “violative conduct” in “disregard of the legal guidelines of the United States.” Binance ultimately avoided the freeze by implementing a set of restrictions that stops Binance and Zhao from accessing buyer funds, amongst different issues.

While the DOJ nonetheless hasn’t confirmed the phrases of the settlement, the company has announced it’s holding a press convention at 3PM ET to “announce separate however associated cryptocurrency enforcement actions.” Binance is simply one of many crypto empires the SEC has focused following the collapse of FTX, as Coinbase can also be going through a lawsuit.