The companies work with well-known crypto exchanges such as Binance, KuCoin, Crypto.com, Gate.io, OKX, and FTX.
While the collapse of FTX highlighted the need for greater transparency from centralized crypto exchanges, the move by major crypto trading platforms to reassure users that their assets are in order has been the decision to work with auditors. However, two of the most well-known auditors suddenly shut down their crypto auditing services, leaving exchanges grounded at a very crucial time.
At the moment, the official website of the French auditing firm Mazars Group indicates that its section called Mazars Veritas dedicated to crypto audits is now offline. The company has partnered with several of the most well-known crypto exchanges, including Binance, KuCoin, and Crypto.com.
While there has been no official announcement from Mazars at the time of writing, Binance has confirmed that the accounting firm has indicated that it is temporarily suspending work with all crypto clients globally.
Speaking to Cointelegraph, a Binance spokesperson noted that due to the FTX incident, people were looking for more guarantees that other exchanges would not collapse. They explained that:
“It was FTX’s inability to ensure that its exchange assets exceeded its debts to customers that caused its bankruptcy. So naturally, people want multiple ways to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
The firm said it has contacted other accounting firms at this time, including the Big Four, and will work to provide other technical solutions.
Related: Silvergate faces class action lawsuit over deals with FTX and Alameda
Meanwhile, auditing firm Armanino has also reportedly suspended its crypto auditing services. The company has partnered with several crypto trading platforms such as OKX, Gate.io and the embattled FTX exchange. Citing unnamed sources, Forbes reported that the company may be under pressure from non-crypto customers after being named in a class action lawsuit for failing to identify issues in FTX.
The auditing firm began crypto auditing services in 2014, offering services such as proof of reserve audits and stablecoin certification, services which are currently in high demand as the collapse of FTX prompted users to be more wary of centralized crypto trading platforms.
