Tagged: sanctions

January 31, 2026 @ 11:58 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent move to curb sanctions evasion, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on two cryptocurrency exchanges registered in the United Kingdom for their ties to Iran’s financial system and support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps… Read More

January 9, 2026 @ 12:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

The world is watching events in Iran as the populace is pushing back against the repressive regime led by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Recent reports indicate that Khamenei has vowed not to back down as anti-government protesters take to the streets and communications are… Read More

December 14, 2025 @ 5:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

TRM Labs noted that on December 10, the United States had reportedly seized a large oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast for alleged sanctions evasion, escalating pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s regime and highlighting why, amid rising illicit activity, it is vital to understand the nation’s economic… Read More

November 13, 2025 @ 2:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a wide-ranging attack on drug-based money laundering, the US Department of the Treasury, in partnership with the Mexican government, has applied sanctions and other measures to undermine organized crime operating in Mexico, Europe, Canada, and elsewhere. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and… Read More

November 9, 2025 @ 7:44 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

A new report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions suggests sanctions activity has moderated since a flurry caused by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Sanctions Pulse analyzes data from the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the UK Office… Read More

August 14, 2025 @ 11:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Garantex Europe OU, a crypto exchange based in Russia (originally registered in Estonia), has been sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury. The sanctions were applied due to claims that Garantex was aiding criminals and sanction evasion. The crypto exchange is said to have… Read More

July 28, 2025 @ 4:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In the ecosystem of blockchain and cryptocurrency, a new entity has emerged and is making a significant impact: A7A5, a Russian ruble-pegged stablecoin that has gained traction, now reportedly facilitating over $1 billion in daily transactions. Launched earlier this year in Kyrgyzstan, A7A5 has reportedly… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 11:13 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On July 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Aeza Group, a Russia-based bulletproof hosting (BPH) services provider, for its role in facilitating cybercriminal activities targeting victims in the United States and globally. Bulletproof hosting… Read More

March 21, 2025 @ 11:47 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury has announced that it has removed the economic sanctions applied to Tornado Cash, a crypto mixer. Tornado Cash, a decentralized platform, enables users to cloak crypto activity to a certain degree. In 2222, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)… Read More

March 5, 2025 @ 3:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Iran-based Behrouz Parsarad, the sole administrator of Nemesis, an online darknet marketplace, which was subject of an international law enforcement operation and “was taken down in 2024.” Prior to its takedown by… Read More

February 22, 2025 @ 5:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The blockchain and crypto ecosystem last year was marked by significant illicit activity, with sanctioned entities and jurisdictions playing a major role, according to Chainalysis’s latest report, entitled “2025 Crypto Crime Trends: Sanctions.” The blockchain analytics firm reveals that $15.8 billion in crypto flowed to… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 8:16 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has partnered with Australia and the UK to sanction Zservers as it is an enabler of LockBit, a Russian ransomware group. LockBit is said to be the culprit in the attack against the… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against two individuals and a single entity regarding money laundering to the benefit of North Korea. OFAC says that Lu Huaying and Zhang Jian, working out of the UAE and… Read More

October 24, 2024 @ 9:34 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

The latest edition of LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ Taking the Pulse of Major Sanctions Lists suggests a heightened level of sanctions activity may be the new normal. The report analyzes activity from the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and… Read More

October 1, 2024 @ 10:43 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning individuals and entities affiliated with Evil Corp, a cybercriminal operation based in Russia. OFAC is taking the action in partnership with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and… Read More

September 27, 2024 @ 9:34 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On September 26, 2024, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Russia-based exchange Cryptex and Sergey Sergeevich Ivanov (a.k.a. UAPS a.k.a TALEON), who facilitated laundering “for fraud shops, ransomware payments, darknet markets, and other criminal actors.” Following these developments,… Read More

March 26, 2024 @ 3:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned thirteen entities and two individuals for operating in the financial services and technology sectors of the Russian Federation economy “including persons developing or offering services in virtual assets that enable the evasion of… Read More

January 23, 2024 @ 12:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Alexander Ermakov for the 2022 ransomware attack against Medibank Private Limited, an Australian insurer. The US worked in concert with Australia and the United Kingdom on the designation. Ermakov is believed… Read More

January 22, 2024 @ 5:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed a fifth round of sanctions on Hamas since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. According to OFAC, the sanctions have targeted Hamas-affiliated financial exchanges in Gaza, their owners and associates,… Read More

November 4, 2023 @ 2:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

On November 3, 2023, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Russian national Ekaterina Zhdanova for using cryptocurrency “to launder money on behalf of Russian elites, ransomware groups, and other bad actors.” Chainalysis has examined the three Bitcoin… Read More