Brian Brooks Quits as CEO of Crypto Exchange Binance.US

Through a spokesman, Mr. Brooks declined to comment beyond his post.

Changpeng Zhao, the founder and CEO of crypto-exchange company Binance Holdings Ltd., confirmed the resignation on Twitter, where he said, “I remain confident in Binance.US’s business.”

The resignation is the latest blow for Binance, which has come under scrutiny from regulators in several countries this summer.

Mr. Brooks had been an acting head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency under the Trump administration, where he had been dubbed the CryptoComptroller for his friendly attitude toward the sector. His hiring was seen in the industry as a win for Binance.US, the U.S. affiliate of Binance.

Under Mr. Brooks’s watch, the OCC released guidance clarifying that banks could provide cryptocurrency custody services and use stablecoins to facilitate payment activities. These moves helped make it easier for traditional financial institutions to get into crypto.

Since its founding in 2017, Binance has become the largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, and its founder, Mr. Zhao, has become a celebrity in crypto circles. Binance.US ranks as the ninth largest exchange, according to CoinMarketCap.

Recently, however, Binance has found itself in the center of a global regulatory storm over its operations in several countries. Although originally located in China, the firm doesn’t have a physical headquarters, like many crypto companies.

In June, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority warned that Binance’s affiliate there wasn’t authorized to operate there. Japan’s Financial Services Agency also warned in June that Binance wasn’t authorized to operate in that country. In July, Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission filed criminal charges against the company for operating without a license.

Bloomberg News reported in March that Binance is under investigation by the CFTC to determine whether the exchange allowed U.S. residents to trade derivatives in violation of CFTC rules. Binance has said it complies with U.S. regulations. A CFTC spokesman declined to comment.

Mr. Zhao said he is committed to getting regulatory approvals from all the countries in which it operates, and he also suggested he would be willing to step down as CEO if it would help Binance smooth over its troubles with regulators.

It isn’t clear whether any of the company’s regulatory developments played a part in Mr. Brooks’s resignation. Crypto markets didn’t appear to react to his departure. Bitcoin was up about 4.2% at $42,577 late on Friday afternoon, according to CoinDesk.

Write to Paul Vigna at paul.vigna@wsj.com