The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking "alternative service" from the U.S. district court in Washington, D.C. to issue a legal summons to Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

Zhao and Binance were recently sued by the SEC over alleged unregistered securities operations.

In a case document filed with the district court on June 7, the SEC requested alternative service. It explained its evident stance that typical service (which requires the presence and signature of the person being served) might prove difficult in this case:

"Binance and Zhao are not the typical foreign entity and individual, as they are widely known for disagreeing with the premise of a headquarters or domicile, let alone identifying one, and Zhao is famously protective of revealing his whereabouts."