Tagged: us department of treasury

US Department of Treasury Says Fintechs Need More Oversight

Last week, the US Department of Treasury published a report entitled Assessing the Impact of New Entrant Non-bank Firms on Competition in Consumer Finance Markets. The report was delivered to the White House Competition Council. The 128-page document informed the White House that Fintech firms… Read More

Last Week, Bittrex Was Penalized by the US Department of Treasury. Will More Crypto Trading Platforms Receive Similar Treatment?

Last week, it was reported that Bittrex was the target of an enforcement action emanating from the US Department of Treasury. Two divisions at Treasury, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced enforcement actions. The crypto trading… Read More

US Department of Treasury Targets Bittrex, Crypto Exchange Hit with Two Enforcement Actions, Penalty Totals $53 Million

The US Department of Treasury has revealed two enforcement actions against the crypto exchange Bittrex. According to a statement issued by Treasury, Bittrex has settled for $24 million with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and for $29 million with Financial Crimes Enforcement Network… Read More

US Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Posts FAQ on Tornado Cash and Sanctions

This is interesting. At some point today, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), part of the US Department of Treasury, posted an FAQ on Tornado Cash, a crypto mixer that was recently the target of an action by OFAC. Last month, Tornado Cash was… Read More

Coinbase to Fund Lawsuit Challenging Tornado Cash Sanctions by US Department of Treasury

Last month, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) applied sanctions to Tornado Cash, a crypto mixing platform. The second sanctions hitting a mixer, the enforcement action is still the first of its kind as the code running Tornado.cash was open… Read More

Congressman Tom Emmer Criticizes Tornado.Cash Sanctions, Sends Letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen

  The sanctioning of open source crypto mixer Tornado.cash has generated much scrutiny and questions about the legality of a governmental entity punishing code. On August 8th, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the crypto mixer, citing occurrences… Read More

Columbia Business School Professor on Tornado.Cash Sanctions: US Government has Criminalized Financial Privacy

As has been widely reported, the US Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has sanctioned crypto mixer Tornado.cash for enabling illicit activities in regards to crypto thefts, ransomware and money laundering. Many crypto proponents are up in arms as this is the… Read More

Freedom of Speech: Tornado.Cash Enigma Explained

The sanctioning of Tornado.cash, a crypto mixing service, has riled many in the crypto-world. This past week, the US Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), targeted the mixer as it is said to launder the proceeds of cybercrime – not just benign… Read More

Coin Center Defends Tornado Cash: A Smart Contract is a Robot Not a Person

As was earlier covered, the US Department of Treasury, via the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned crypto mixer Tornado Cash.  Mixers are used to boost the privacy of crypto transacts but may also be used to obfuscate nefarious activity. Coin Center, a… Read More

US Department of Treasury Targets Another Crypto Mixer as Tornado.Cash Gets Sanctioned

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has targeted another crypto mixer by sanctioning Tornado Cash. Most recently, in May, OFAC sanctioned Blender.io, a mixer that is said to be utilized by North Korea  for its “malicious cyber activities and… Read More

US Department of Treasury Issues Request for Comments on Digital Assets

The US Department of Treasury has issued a request for comments pertaining to the risks and opportunities affiliated with digital assets or crypto. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Nellie Liang issued the following statement on the request: “For consumers, digital assets may present… Read More

President’s Working Group Convenes to Discuss Stablecoins

The President’s Working Group (PWG) on Financial Markets met today to discuss the topic of stablecoins. In 2021, the PWG published a report on stablecoins requesting legislation stating: “…in the absence of Congressional action, which is urgently needed to address the prudential risks inherent in… Read More

Coin Center Sues the US Department of Treasury Regarding Infrastructure Bill and New Crypto Regulation

Coin Center, the not-for-profit digital asset advocacy group, has sued the US Department of Treasury. According to a blog post from several days ago, Coin Center has taken umbrage to a portion of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in 2021, that… Read More

US Department of Treasury Targets Russian Sanction Evaders Including Crypto Mining Operation Bitriver

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has moved once again to take action against Russian entities as part of the growing sanctions against the rogue nation and its unprovoked war against Ukraine. In the first action of its kind,… Read More

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen Discusses, CBDCs, Stablecoins, & Digital Asset Innovation

Speaking at American University today, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen addressed the emerging sector of digital assets as well as stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Secretary Yellen reflected on the growth of digital assets, rising from just $14 billion to around $3… Read More

US Department of Treasury Sanctions Hydra Market, Garantex, Along with 100 Crypto Wallets Associated with Dark Web Marketplace: $25 Million in Bitcoin Seized

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned dark web marketplace Hydra Market, labeling it a pernicious site for malicious cybercrime services, dangerous drugs, ransomware, and other illicit activity. Hydra Market is said to be based in Russia. Also sanctioned, Garantex is a crypto exchange… Read More

Secretary of Treasury Yellen Issues Statement on Digital Asset Executive Order

Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen has issued a commend on the Executive Order published today that addresses the fast-growing digital asset industry. Secretary Yellen said that President Joe Biden’s order calls for a coordinated approach to digital asset policy: “This approach will support responsible innovation… Read More

Here is FinCEN Alert on Russian Sanctions and Evasion, Includes “Virtual Currency Exchanges”

Yesterday, FinCEN, the enforcement branch of the US Department of Treasury, posted an Alert on “Increased Vigilance for Potential Russian Sanctions Evasion Attempts.” Russia, along with Belarus, have been targeted with economic sanctions designed to pressure these countries following the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. FinCEN… Read More

White House Report: Executive Order on Crypto Regulation Expected this Week

Multiple reports are claiming that the White House will issue an Executive Order on cryptocurrency at some point this week. The news follows days of concern from some policymakers that Russia and its elites may leverage crypto to evade the growing list of economic sanctions…. Read More

US Department of Treasury Has Contacted Crypto Firms About Possible Cyber Attacks by Russia

The US Department of Treasury has been contacting cryptocurrency platforms cautioning them about the possibility of cyber-attacks emanating from Russia following Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine. According to a report by Reuters, a person with knowledge of the conversations said following the sanctions leveled against… Read More

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