Sanctions
OFAC Updates Central Bank of Iran Designation Following Record $344 Million Tether Seizure amid Strait of Hormuz Toll Controversy
On April 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated its designation of…
EU’s 20th Russia Sanctions Package Signals a New Era of Crypto-Specific Enforcement
TL;DR The EU’s 20th Russia sanctions package introduces a total sectoral ban on Russia-based crypto service providers and decentralized platforms,…
Sanctioned Russia-Linked Exchange Grinex Suspends Operations Following Alleged Cyberattack
TL;DR Grinex, the sanctioned successor to the Russian exchange Garantex, suspended operations yesterday following a claimed 1 billion ruble ($13.7…
From the Battlefield to the Blockchain: How Cryptocurrency Is Helping Finance the Drone Revolution
TL;DR Low-cost, commercially available drones have become central to modern conflict, allowing state and non-state actors, such as pro-Russia militias…
OFAC Targets North Korean IT Worker Networks Using Cryptocurrency to Fund WMD Programs
TL;DR OFAC designated six individuals and two entities for facilitating North Korean IT worker schemes that generated nearly $800 million…
Crypto Crime in 2025 Was Primarily Driven by 694% Surge in State-Driven Sanctions Evasion Volume
TL;DR The value received by sanctioned entities surged 694% in 2025, driving total illicit transaction volume to a record $154…
Iranian Crypto Outflows Spike After Airstrikes Amid a Year of Rising On-Chain Activity
Update, 3/5/26 Earlier this week, we published an initial analysis of crypto outflows from Iranian exchanges in the immediate aftermath…
OFAC Designates Iranian-Linked Crypto Exchanges in First-Ever Action Targeting Digital Asset Firms in Iran’s Financial Sector
TL;DR OFAC designated two UK-registered crypto exchanges, Zedcex and Zedxion, for operating in Iran’s financial sector and processing cryptocurrency transactions…
Inside Iran’s Growing $7.8 Billion Crypto Ecosystem: IRGC Dominance and a Flight to Bitcoin Reflect Geopolitical Tensions and Domestic Unrest
TL;DR Iran’s crypto ecosystem reached over $7.78 billion in 2025, having grown at a faster pace for most of the…
OFAC and Crypto Crime: Every OFAC Specially Designated National with Identified Cryptocurrency Addresses
As far back as the early 1800s, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued economic sanctions to achieve foreign…
Crypto Crime Reaches Record High in 2025 as Nation‑State Sanctions Evasion Moves On‑Chain at Scale
In 2025, we tracked a notable rise in nation-state activity in crypto, marking the latest phase in the maturation of…
Crypto National Security and Pig Butchering: Podcast Ep. 174
$15 Billion crypto seizures, SouthEast Asia scam compounds with thousands of victims and the life savings of hard working professionals…
U.S. Launches New Strike Force to Combat $10 Billion Southeast Asian Scam Industry; OFAC Targets Burma-Based Cyber Scam Network
TL;DR The U.S. Department of Justice, together with major federal law enforcement and interagency partners, announced the creation of the…
OFAC Targets $600 Million Iranian Shadow Banking Network Using Cryptocurrency to Evade Sanctions
TL;DR OFAC designated Iranian financial facilitators and their network of front companies for coordinating cryptocurrency transactions that benefit the Islamic…
OFAC Sanctions Chinese Chemical Company and Its Associates in Synthetic Opioid Crackdown
TL;DR OFAC sanctioned China-based chemical company Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co., Ltd. and two individuals for trafficking synthetic opioids and cutting…