Sanction

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, has removed sanctioned Russian banks from its P2P trading service, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. 

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has agreed to pay over US$362,000 to settle claims that it violated sanctions against Iran, the Treasury said Monday.

Alexey Pertsev, a developer of the now-sanctioned crypto mixer Tornado Cash, has been ordered to stay in jail until Feb. 20 at least.

‘Risky or illicit’ transactions represent the highest rate of any region measured by the blockchain analytics firm.

Tornado Cash, the Ethereum coin mixer slapped with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury back in August, has returned to the software hosting website GitHub amid a flurry of lawsuits against the Treasury for its action.

Russia is planning to use its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in testing, the digital ruble, to carry out mutual settlements with China, Reuters reported on Monday, citing a senior Russian lawmaker. See related article: Is cryptocurrency a workaround for sanctions against Russia? Fast facts Anatoly Aksakov, head of the financial committee in Russia’s lower […]

Over a month after placing the Ethereum coin-mixing tool Tornado Cash under sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a way for Tornado Cash users to recover their funds on Tuesday.  See related article: Tether says didn’t freeze sanctioned Tornado Cash addresses so as to not interfere in investigations Fast facts The new guidance provides a […]

The percentage of stablecoin USD Coin (USDC) supply held by the top 1% addresses dropped to a 22-month low on Monday, while USDC average trading volume in seven days surged to an all-time high on the same day, according to crypto data dashboard Glassnode. See related article: Vitalik Buterin says he used Tornado Cash to […]

Iran has made the country’s first cryptocurrency payment with a US$10 million import order this week, which could be an option for the country to bypass broad trade embargoes, according to a media report. See related article: Crypto exchange Kraken reportedly under investigation for Iran sanctions breach Fast facts See related article: Is cryptocurrency a […]

Crypto hacks facilitated by North Korea help fund its weapons of mass destruction, U.S. Treasury Department’s Brian E. Nelson said on his recent visit to South Korea. See related article: North Korea behind Ronin hack: US Fast facts Nelson met with representatives of South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) and Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) on […]

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, denied sharing client data with Russian authorities, following a Reuters investigation into the exchange’s ties with the country.

The Lazarus Group, the North Korean hacking group linked to the US$600 million Axie Infinity hack in March, is still laundering funds stolen from the hack despite sanctions imposed by the U.S.  See related article: Axie Infinity blockchain Ronin hacked for over $600M Fast facts Despite U.S. sanctions, North Korean hackers have been freely laundering […]

The U.S. sanctioned Russian cryptocurrency miner Bitriver and its 10 subsidiaries on Wednesday, in an attempt to further isolate Russia from the global economy for invading Ukraine.  See related article: Russia proposes Bitcoin payments for oil and energy exports Fast facts “Russia has a comparative advantage in crypto mining due to energy resources and a […]

The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned what it called “the world’s largest and most prominent darknet market” based in Russia and a cryptocurrency exchange associated with ransomware activities. See related article: Russian-linked strains lead crypto ransomware in 2021: Chainalysis Fast facts The Treasury Department Tuesday sanctioned Hydra Market, alleging it offered a marketplace for […]

Chinese telecommunications equipment maker ZTE has successfully registered a number of metaverse-related English trademarks. See related article: ‘Metaverse’ enters government radar at China’s Two Sessions Fast facts ZTE’s trademarks fall under the scientific equipment and communication services categories, setting the stage for the firm to provide related services in the metaverse. The partially state-owned Chinese […]

Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, two divergent narratives about crypto are being told, writes Alex Tapscott. Which version is correct?

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has imposed financial measures targeting designated Russian banks, entities and activities in Russia, and fundraising activities benefiting the Russian government, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. See related article: Singapore prohibits crypto, NFT transactions in sanctions against Russia Fast facts An MAS notice named the designated banks as […]

Cryptocurrency is being used both to fund Ukraine’s defense and prevent Russia’s ability to skirt sanctions in what may become a pivotal moment for the industry.

War-mongering Russia is finding itself increasingly isolated. Can cryptocurrency help the rogue state soften the blow of sanctions?