Tag Archives: Sanctions compliance

It aggregates OFAC sanctions, cross-border sanctions, crypto money laundering, risk screening, and licensed institution sanctions compliance content.

The US OFAC has sanctioned TdA-related ATM jackpotting networks, adding seven TRON addresses to its list.
The US OFAC has sanctioned TdA-related ATM jackpotting networks, adding seven TRON addresses to its list.

The US OFAC has sanctioned an ATM jackpotting criminal network linked to Venezuela's TdA, designating 10 individuals and entities and adding 7 TRON addresses to its SDN database.

01
June
Dubai-based unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange Shelbit is implicated in a $40 billion circumvention of Iranian sanctions: VARA's second enforcement action and compliance warnings for licensed institutions worldwide.
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Shelbit General Trading LLC 2025 1 2 VARA Reuters 2026

01
June
Myanmar passes Anti-Cyber ​​Fraud Law: Death by Forced Labor is punishable by death; Operating a Crypto Scam carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment – ​​Compliance Warning for Licensed Institutions in Southeast Asia
Myanmar passes Anti-Cyber ​​Fraud Law: Death by Forced Labor is punishable by death; Operating a Crypto Scam carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment – ​​Compliance Warning for Licensed Institutions in Southeast Asia

缅甸军方议会2026年7月28日通过《反网络诈骗法》，对暴力强迫劳动致死判处死刑，对经营加密诈骗判处None期徒刑。UNODC估算东南亚诈骗网络2025年造成883亿至1,141亿美元损失。持牌金融机构面临AML/CFT审查与UBO穿透合规义务全面升级。

28
June
Chen Zhi, founder of Cambodia's Prince Group, has been formally arrested; compliance due diligence warnings issued for all beneficiaries of licensed financial institutions.
Chen Zhi, founder of Cambodia's Prince Group, has been formally arrested; compliance due diligence warnings issued for all beneficiaries of licensed financial institutions.

Chen Zhi, founder of Cambodia's Prince Group, was formally arrested by Chinese prosecutors on July 6, 2026, on charges including copyright infringement, fraud, operating a casino, intentional injury, and illegal business operations. Prince Bank entered compulsory liquidation proceedings in January, and the Central Bank of Cambodia explicitly stated that no institution nationwide is authorized to conduct cryptocurrency transactions. This case serves as a systemic warning regarding the need for thorough due diligence on unsecured transactions (UBOs) by licensed financial institutions, the tracking of sanctions lists, and the monitoring of cross-border transactions.

27
June
Zerohash Raises Valuation Exceeding $15 Billion: The Crypto Infrastructure M&A Landscape Following Mastercard's Acquisition of BVNK
Sberbank, Russia's crypto wallet and digital custody service: A sanctions-compliant crypto system led by a state-owned bank.

俄罗斯最大国有银行Sberbank宣布计划于2026年12月1日前推出加密货币钱包与数字托管服务，取决于《数字货币政策与数字权利法》能否于9月1日如期生效。

26
June
North Korea's Rare Internal Arrest of Bank Hacking Gang: New Trends in Crypto Money Laundering in FATF Blacklisted Countries and Implications for International Sanctions Compliance
North Korea's Rare Internal Arrest of Bank Hacking Gang: New Trends in Crypto Money Laundering in FATF Blacklisted Countries and Implications for International Sanctions Compliance

South Korean media outlet Daily NK reported that North Korean authorities arrested a former state cyber agent, accusing him of hacking into the central bank and trade banks to convert state funds into cryptocurrency and then launder the money through Chinese brokers. This article analyzes the latest developments in compliance with North Korean sanctions under the FATF blacklist framework and its implications for the compliance of licensed crypto institutions.

25
June
The EU bans transactions on 14 cryptocurrency platforms in six locations, including Georgia and the UAE: the first time a comprehensive ban mechanism on third-country cryptocurrency services has been implemented.
The EU bans transactions on 14 cryptocurrency platforms in six locations, including Georgia and the UAE: the first time a comprehensive ban mechanism on third-country cryptocurrency services has been implemented.

The EU's 21st round of sanctions against Russia bans transactions by 14 crypto service platforms located in Georgia, Panama, the UAE, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus, and introduces for the first time a comprehensive ban mechanism on crypto services from third countries. MiCA-licensed institutions are required to immediately review the compliance risks of counterparties in these six locations and establish a dynamic, real-time monitoring mechanism for the sanctions list.

24
June
The EU's 21st round of sanctions against Russia establishes a mechanism to ban third-country crypto services: A7A5 ruble stablecoin cross-border network's $1200 billion channel is completely blocked.
The EU's 21st round of sanctions against Russia establishes a mechanism to ban third-country crypto services: A7A5 ruble stablecoin cross-border network's $1200 billion channel is completely blocked.

2026年7月23日欧盟通过第21轮对俄制裁，首次建立第三国加密资产服务全面禁令机制。以A7A5卢布稳定币为核心的跨境结算网络累计处理超1200亿美元交易。14家分布于六国的加密平台被纳入交易禁令，标志着欧盟加密制裁从逐平台列单升级为逐国封禁的制度性转变。

24
June
The EU extends Belarus's ban on ownership of crypto assets to all crypto service providers under the MiCA framework.
The EU extends Belarus's ban on ownership of crypto assets to all crypto service providers under the MiCA framework.

The European Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847, prohibiting Belarusian nationals and residents from owning, controlling, or managing any cryptocurrency service providers under the MiCA (Miscellaneous Cryptocurrency Agency) regulation. This ban covers nine categories, including trading platforms, exchanges, order execution, asset issuance, transfers, investment advisory services, and asset management. The ban took effect on August 25, just three weeks before the end of the MiCA transition period.

24
June
The EU's 21st round of sanctions against Russia targets crypto platforms for the first time: 11 crypto service providers are placed under a trading ban, and the MiCA compliance framework is coupled with new sanctions screening obligations.
The EU's 21st round of sanctions against Russia targets crypto platforms for the first time: 11 crypto service providers are placed under a trading ban, and the MiCA compliance framework is coupled with new sanctions screening obligations.

EU member states reached a political agreement on the 21st round of sanctions against Russia, including for the first time adding 11 third-country crypto platforms to the trading ban and exploring a comprehensive ban on crypto services in specific jurisdictions. 94 Russian financial institutions were sanctioned, and MiCA-licensed CASPs are required to undergo additional compliance obligations, including sanctions screening and on-chain transaction monitoring.

23
June
UK IRGC lists crypto companies in Schedule 6A: Delayed identification of linked wallets could face up to 14 years of criminal liability.
UK IRGC lists crypto companies in Schedule 6A: Delayed identification of linked wallets could face up to 14 years of criminal liability.

On July 17, 2026, the UK included the IRGC in Schedule 6A of the National Security Act, creating a new type of criminal risk for crypto compliance: on-chain transfers completed in seconds, but wallet association discovered afterward, could trigger up to 14 years imprisonment. Crypto companies need to establish timelines for evidence of wallet ownership to address this new legal risk parallel to the OFSI sanctions regime.

23
June
EXMO initiates orderly liquidation due to UK sanctions: 29.4% of user assets are replaced with USDRecover promissory note tokens, setting a precedent for debt tokenization in sanctioned liquidations.
EXMO initiates orderly liquidation due to UK sanctions: 29.4% of user assets are replaced with USDRecover promissory note tokens, setting a precedent for debt tokenization in sanctioned liquidations.

Cryptocurrency exchange EXMO announced in mid-July that it was initiating an orderly liquidation due to UK sanctions, leaving 29.4% of user assets unrecoverable. The platform deducted the shortfall proportionally and compensated the difference with USDRecover promissory note tokens, setting a precedent for the tokenization of debt in sanction-induced liquidations and providing a template for orderly exits triggered by sanctions in the crypto industry.

22
June
TRM Labs discloses HTX's wallet address rotation every few hours after UK sanctions: Technical challenges of compliance circumvention across four public blockchains and a static sanctions screening system.
TRM Labs discloses HTX's wallet address rotation every few hours after UK sanctions: Technical challenges of compliance circumvention across four public blockchains and a static sanctions screening system.

On July 22, TRM Labs disclosed that the HTX exchange, sanctioned by the UK, systematically rotated its hot wallet addresses every few hours across four public blockchains: TRON, Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, and Solana, rendering traditional static address screening tools largely ineffective. This case reveals a structural flaw in the implementation of sanctions as it migrates from traditional finance to on-chain environments.

22
June
The US OFAC imposes its first sanctions on a VPN infrastructure provider: Cryptography compliance reviews expand from the transaction layer to the network anonymity service layer.
The US OFAC imposes its first sanctions on a VPN infrastructure provider: Cryptography compliance reviews expand from the transaction layer to the network anonymity service layer.

OFAC于2026年7月13日首次将VPN提供商1VPNS及cryptor供应商列入SDN名单，标志制裁逻辑从攻击者扩展至攻击使能者。20个加密地址覆盖8条链，所有VASP须立即筛查。美英同步执法配FBI联合行动。

22
June
US OFAC sanctions Cuban-linked crypto wallets: Eight public blockchain addresses added to SDN blacklist.
US OFAC sanctions Cuban-linked crypto wallets: Eight public blockchain addresses added to SDN blacklist.

On July 13, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department’s OFAC imposed sanctions on multiple entities and individuals associated with the Cuban regime, adding a batch of cryptocurrency wallet addresses to the SDN blacklist, covering eight public chains including BTC, ETH, TRX, and SOL. This is the largest single instance of Cuba-related cryptocurrency sanctions to cover public chains in recent years.

15
June
The US OFAC has imposed its first sanctions on ransomware infrastructure service providers: VPN and malware encryptor providers have been added to the SDN list.
The US OFAC has imposed its first sanctions on ransomware infrastructure service providers: VPN and malware encryptor providers have been added to the SDN list.

美国OFAC于2026年7月13日首次制裁勒索软件基础设施服务商：VPN提供商1VPNS及其管理员Rashevskyi，以及白俄罗斯cryptor卖家Silayev。同步列出20个加密地址覆盖8条公链。行动与United KingdomFCDO及Europol Saffron行动协调，标志美国反勒索策略从打击犯罪人升级为摧毁犯罪供应链。

14
June
Sanctioned entities to receive $1040 billion in crypto assets in 2025 – A compliance warning for global licensed VASPs’ sanctions screening obligations.
Sanctioned entities to receive $1040 billion in crypto assets in 2025 – A compliance warning for global licensed VASPs’ sanctions screening obligations.

Chainalysis' 2026 Crypto Crime Report reveals that sanctioned entities received approximately $1040 billion through crypto assets in 2025 (a staggering 694% year-on-year increase). Sanction circumvention, driven by Russia's A7A5 stablecoin, Iran's IRGC network, and North Korean hacking, has become deeply integrated into the infrastructure. Stablecoins account for 84% of illicit transaction volume, with licensed VASPs playing a significant role.

05
June
Controversy over transaction data of Russian stablecoin A7A5 under sanctions: $344 billion self-declared vs. independent data from analytical institutions—the self-proving dilemma of VASP sanctions screening.
Controversy over transaction data of Russian stablecoin A7A5 under sanctions: $344 billion self-declared vs. independent data from analytical institutions—the self-proving dilemma of VASP sanctions screening.

受制裁俄罗斯稳定币A7A5与区块链分析机构TRM Labs、Elliptic爆发数据争议：A7A5自称日均交易2.05亿美元，TRM估测仅7,500万且34%疑为循环转账。从OFAC制裁时间线、destroyBlackFunds链上操作到VASP制裁筛查义务，深度分析制裁稳定币合规困境。

04
June
Brazilian Federal Police freeze $20 billion in crypto assets – PCC money laundering network and OFAC cross-border law enforcement collaboration
Brazilian Federal Police freeze $20 billion in crypto assets – PCC money laundering network and OFAC cross-border law enforcement collaboration

On July 3, 2026, the Brazilian Federal Police launched Operation Exchange, and the court ordered the freezing of up to 104 billion reais (approximately US$2 billion) in assets, including cryptocurrencies, directly linked to OFAC sanctions. The core network PCC used cryptocurrencies to transfer US drug proceeds back to Brazil, involving over US$30 million. OFAC simultaneously sanctioned 134 ISIS-K wallets, and the secondary sanctions mechanism exerted actual compliance constraints on Brazilian financial institutions.

04
June
Israeli prosecutors charge US citizen with espionage for Iran over cryptocurrency payments: a gray area of ​​sanctions compliance.
Israeli prosecutors charge US citizen with espionage for Iran over cryptocurrency payments: a gray area of ​​sanctions compliance.

Israeli prosecutors have indicted 21-year-old U.S. citizen Eli Lavon, accusing him of accepting espionage commissions from Iranian intelligence agencies via Telegram and receiving approximately $1,379 in cryptocurrency in return. This case reveals the trend of low barriers to entry and anonymity in the use of crypto payments by sanctioned entities, posing new challenges to OFAC sanctions compliance and VASP transaction monitoring systems.

04
June

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