Tagged: ofac

US Department of Treasury Sanctions Chinese Entities that Hacked Treasury Department, Secretary Yellen’s Computer

China state-affiliated entities have been hacking both public and private organizations in the US for years now. This is part of China’s goal to usurp the US as the world’s top superpower.  In an embarrassing revelation, the US Department of Treasury was hacked, including, apparently,… Read More

US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions Two Individuals Related to North Korea Crypto Laundering Ploy

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

In Big Win for Crypto, Courts Deny Tornado Cash Smart Contracts are Illegal, OFAC, US Department of Treasury Lose

In 2022, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted DeFi crypto mixer Tornado Cash with sanctions, claiming the platform had laundered over $7 billion. At that time, The Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson, claimed: “Today,… Read More

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions Cybercriminals Evil Corp based in Russia

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

Chainalysis Provides Insights After OFAC Designates Russian Exchange Cryptex and Fraud Shop Facilitator UAPS, FinCEN Names PM2BTC

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

Chainalysis Shares Insights After OFAC Sanctions Russian Drone Developer KB Vostok Linked to Ukraine Invasion

On August 23, 2024, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced further sanctions against nearly 400 entities as a part of ongoing multilateral efforts “to weaken Russia’s military supply chain and procurement networks.” Chainalysis noted in a blog… Read More

US Treasury Department Designates Russian Firms Supporting Sanctions Evasion via Virtual Asset Services and Tech Procurement

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

US Department of Treasury Sanctions Russian for Hacking Medibank

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

US Department of Treasury Sanctions Crypto Exchanges, Operators that are Said to Aid Hamas

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

Sinbad: Another Crypto Mixer Sanctioned by US Department of Treasury

Mixers, or platforms that seek to cover the tracks of crypto movement, are making news again as the US Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has sanctioned Sinbad.io (Sinbad) for helping North Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)) in its… Read More

Largest in History: CFTC, US Department of Treasury Reveal Details of Binance Settlement, Crypto Exchange to Exit US

As was reported earlier today, Binance has settled charges in a comprehensive manner, paying total penalties of $4.3 billion, described as the largest settlement of its kind ever. Binance is noted as the largest crypto exchange in the world, handling approximately 60% of centralized digital… Read More

Kraken Settles with US Department of Treasury, Pays $362K Penalty

Crypto exchange Kraken has settled with the US Department of Treasury, which had alleged sanction violations. Falling under the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Kraken has agreed to pay $362,158.70 to settle a possible civil liability for claimed violations of the Iranian Transactions and… 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

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