{ "title": "Crypto sanctions tracker", "description": "US (OFAC, FinCEN) and EU sanctions actions against crypto exchanges, mixers, P2P platforms and stablecoins since 2021, with the stated reason and what each changed for users.", "publisher": "CoinVast Research", "canonicalPage": "https://coinvast.io/articles/crypto-sanctions-tracker", "dataUrl": "https://coinvast.io/data/crypto-sanctions.json", "license": "CC BY 4.0", "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "attribution": "CoinVast Research, https://coinvast.io/articles/crypto-sanctions-tracker", "contact": "info@coinvast.io", "lastFullCheck": "2026-10-29", "updatePolicy": "Updated when OFAC, FinCEN or the Council of the EU lists, re-lists or removes a crypto exchange, mixer, payment platform or stablecoin, or when police take down a platform already under sanctions.", "methodologyNote": "One record per action. authority is the body that acted; basis is the legal instrument where the release names it. Amounts come from the authority's release where it gives one and from the named analytics firm where it does not. Not legal advice; check the official lists for current entries.", "summary": { "actionsTracked": 17, "firstExchangeSanctioned": { "date": "2021-09-21", "entity": "Suex OTC" }, "firstMixerSanctioned": { "date": "2022-05-06", "entity": "Blender.io" }, "onlyMajorCryptoRemoval": { "date": "2025-03-21", "entity": "Tornado Cash" }, "largestSingleEuCryptoListing": { "date": "2026-07-23", "platforms": 14 } }, "actions": [ { "date": "2026-07-23", "authority": "EU", "basis": "21st Russia sanctions package (transaction ban)", "entities": ["Rapira", "Aifory Pro (Sooty Ltd.)", "ABCeX (Nueva Cryptologia S.A.S de C.V.)", "WhiteBird", "NoOnecrypto INC.", "Tradex (Brightum LLC)", "Monease Ltd", "BitPapa", "Exnode, Exnode Pay (Arvix)", "HTX (HUOBI GLOBAL SA)", "EXMO Ltd", "A7 Nigeria", "A7 Africa", "PilotFinance Ltd"], "type": "exchange and payment platforms", "reason": "Served as conduits for Russian entities moving funds around existing sanctions.", "effect": "EU persons and entities may not do business with the listed platforms. NoOnes stopped trading on 2026-08-21. The package also created a power to ban crypto services from entire third countries, not yet used.", "sources": ["https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/eu-21st-russia-sanctions-package-crypto-patforms-july-2026/", "https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/eus-21st-package-extends-crypto-sanctions-to-third-countries"] }, { "date": "2026-06-02", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Counter terrorism and Iran-related designations", "entities": ["Nobitex", "Wallex", "Bitpin", "Ramzinex", "four Nobitex executives"], "type": "exchanges", "reason": "Iran's largest domestic exchanges; per OFAC, Nobitex processed hundreds of millions of dollars in stablecoin transfers for the Central Bank of Iran.", "effect": "Secondary sanctions attached: foreign financial institutions and exchanges that keep processing transactions for them risk losing US access.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260602", "https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/ofac-sanctions-iranian-crypto-exchanges-june-2026/", "https://www.elliptic.co/insights/ofac-sanctions-nobitex-and-three-other-iranian-cryptoasset-exchanges/"] }, { "date": "2026-01-30", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Iran-related and counter terrorism designations", "entities": ["Zedcex Exchange Ltd", "Zedxion Exchange Ltd", "Babak Morteza Zanjani"], "type": "exchanges", "reason": "UK registered exchanges that cleared stablecoin flows linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.", "effect": "First US designation of digital asset exchanges for serving the IRGC; six exchange-attributed wallet addresses listed.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260130", "https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/ofac-sanctions-zedcex-and-zedxion-in-first-ever-designation-of-an-irgc-linked-digital-asset-exchange"] }, { "date": "2025-10-23", "authority": "EU", "basis": "19th Russia sanctions package", "entities": ["A7A5 stablecoin, its developer and issuer", "Payeer", "ban on crypto-asset services to persons established or residing in Russia"], "type": "stablecoin and payment platform", "reason": "Sanctions evasion.", "effect": "From 2025-11-25, EU persons may not engage in any direct or indirect transaction involving A7A5; Payeer ended services for users in Russia and the EU, with withdrawals open until 2025-11-24.", "sources": ["https://www.elliptic.co/blog/eu-sanctions-against-a7a5-and-payeer-come-into-effect", "https://www.simmons-simmons.com/en/publications/cmh3mkt82003kve38l89o55as/overview-of-eu-s-19th-sanctions-package-against-russia"] }, { "date": "2025-10-16", "authority": "FinCEN", "basis": "Section 311 final rule (31 CFR 1010.664)", "entities": ["Huione Group, including Huione Pay PLC, Huione Crypto and Haowang Guarantee"], "type": "payment and crypto group", "reason": "Primary money laundering concern: laundering for scam networks and proceeds of North Korean cyber heists.", "effect": "From 2025-11-17, covered US financial institutions may not open or maintain correspondent accounts for Huione Group. A June 2026 proposal would add H-Pay Service PLC.", "sources": ["https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/16/2025-19571/imposition-of-special-measure-regarding-huione-group-as-a-foreign-financial-institution-of-primary", "https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-issues-final-rule-severing-huione-group-us-financial-system"] }, { "date": "2025-08-14", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Cyber-related designations", "entities": ["Grinex", "Garantex (re-designated)", "Old Vector (A7A5 issuer)", "A7, A71, A7 Agent", "InDeFi Bank", "Exved", "Garantex executives"], "type": "exchanges and stablecoin network", "reason": "Grinex was Garantex's successor; the A7A5 network was used to evade sanctions and launder ransomware proceeds.", "effect": "Grinex and the A7A5 issuer cut off from US persons.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250814", "https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/a7a5-grinex-russian-crypto-economy-ofac-sanctions-august-2025-japanese/", "https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/us-sanctions-garantex-and-grinex-over.html"] }, { "date": "2025-03-21", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Cyber-related designation removal", "entities": ["Tornado Cash"], "type": "mixer (removal)", "reason": "Followed the Fifth Circuit's 2024-11-26 ruling in Van Loon v. Department of the Treasury that immutable smart contracts are not blockable property; Treasury described the removal as discretionary.", "effect": "US persons may again interact with the protocol. A Texas court later ruled OFAC cannot restore the sanctions. The founders' criminal cases were not affected.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250321", "https://www.steptoe.com/en/news-publications/international-compliance-blog/treasury-department-delists-tornado-cash-following-the-fifth-circuits-decision.html", "https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/04/05/why-ofac-delisted-tornado-cash"] }, { "date": "2025-03-06", "authority": "US Secret Service with German and Finnish authorities", "basis": "Domain and server seizure (enforcement, not a new listing)", "entities": ["Garantex"], "type": "exchange (takedown)", "reason": "Already sanctioned since 2022; administrator Aleksej Besciokov arrested in Kerala, India, on US request around 2025-03-12.", "effect": "Garantex went offline. Elliptic estimates it processed about USD 96 billion over its life.", "sources": ["https://thehackernews.com/2025/03/us-secret-service-seizes-russian.html", "https://cointelegraph.com/news/india-arrest-aleksej-besciokov-garantex"] }, { "date": "2024-09-26", "authority": "OFAC and FinCEN", "basis": "EO 13694 and EO 14024 (OFAC); Section 9714 order (FinCEN)", "entities": ["Cryptex", "Sergey Sergeevich Ivanov", "PM2BTC (FinCEN)"], "type": "exchanges", "reason": "Ransomware and Russian illicit finance; Cryptex received over USD 51.2 million in ransomware-derived funds per OFAC.", "effect": "US institutions barred from funds transfers involving PM2BTC; domains seized with Dutch law enforcement; USD 10 million State Department reward for Ivanov.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20240926", "https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2616", "https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/treasury-takes-coordinated-actions-against-illicit-russian-virtual-currency"] }, { "date": "2023-11-29", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Cyber-related and North Korea designations", "entities": ["Sinbad.io"], "type": "mixer", "reason": "Key laundering tool of North Korea's Lazarus Group; infrastructure ties to Blender.io.", "effect": "Taken down in a coordinated law enforcement operation the same week.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20231129", "https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1933", "https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/29/feds-seize-sinbad-crypto-mixer-allegedly-used-by-north-korean-hackers/"] }, { "date": "2023-01-18", "authority": "FinCEN", "basis": "Section 9714 order (first ever)", "entities": ["Bitzlato"], "type": "exchange and P2P service", "reason": "Primary money laundering concern in connection with Russian illicit finance.", "effect": "Covered US financial institutions barred from certain funds transfers involving Bitzlato; its founder was arrested and charged by the Justice Department.", "sources": ["https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-identifies-virtual-currency-exchange-bitzlato-primary-money-laundering"] }, { "date": "2022-11-08", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Cyber-related and North Korea designations", "entities": ["Tornado Cash (re-designated)"], "type": "mixer", "reason": "Lazarus Group laundering; added North Korea authorities.", "effect": "Replaced the August listing while litigation continued.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20221108"] }, { "date": "2022-08-08", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Cyber-related designation", "entities": ["Tornado Cash"], "type": "mixer", "reason": "Used to launder more than USD 7 billion since 2019, per Treasury.", "effect": "First sanctions on open source software; listed addresses blocked across the industry.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20220808"] }, { "date": "2022-05-06", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Cyber-related designation", "entities": ["Blender.io"], "type": "mixer", "reason": "Laundering for the Lazarus Group.", "effect": "First US sanctions on a crypto mixer.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20220506"] }, { "date": "2022-04-05", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Russia-related and cyber-related designations", "entities": ["Garantex", "Hydra Market"], "type": "exchange and darknet market", "reason": "Garantex handled over USD 100 million in transactions linked to illicit actors, including ransomware and darknet markets.", "effect": "Cut off from US persons; Garantex kept operating until its 2025 takedown.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20220405", "https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/252515668/US-sanctions-Garantex-for-laundering-over-100M"] }, { "date": "2021-11-08", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "EO 13694, cyber-related designations", "entities": ["Chatex", "IZIBITS OU and two other companies supporting Chatex"], "type": "exchange", "reason": "Ransomware transactions and material support to Suex.", "effect": "Second exchange ever sanctioned.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20211108", "https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/treasury-designates-cryptocurrency-exchange-chatex"] }, { "date": "2021-09-21", "authority": "OFAC", "basis": "Cyber-related designation", "entities": ["SUEX OTC, S.R.O."], "type": "exchange", "reason": "Ransomware payments; over 40% of its known transaction history associated with illicit actors.", "effect": "First crypto exchange ever sanctioned by the US.", "sources": ["https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20210921", "https://decrypt.co/85545/us-treasury-adds-bitcoin-exchange-sanctions-list-ransomware-links"] } ], "howToCheck": [ "Search OFAC's SDN list at sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov; the downloadable list includes crypto addresses for many entries.", "Check the EU consolidated sanctions list and the Russia package texts in the Official Journal.", "Treat wallet or exchange warnings about flagged addresses as real." ], "changelog": [ { "date": "2026-10-29", "note": "Tracker published with 17 actions from 2021-09-21 to 2026-07-23." } ] }