Tagged: ofac

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

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

Crypto Mixer Blender.io Gets Sanctioned by US Department of Treasury

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has targeted a crypto mixer platform for the very first time. According to a statement by Treasury, Blender.io (Blender) has been sanctioned by the US government. Blender is utilized by North Korea  for… 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

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

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

US Department of Treasury: Sanctions Restrict Russia’s Access to Billions Following Premeditated and Unprovoked Invasion of Ukraine

The US Department of Treasury has issued a statement today following a flurry of international actions over the weekend that sought to cut off Russia from global markets while freezing assets of certain individuals and other entities. Treasury said the actions were taken following the… Read More

Chainalysis Makes Recommendations After OFAC Emphasizes Importance of Ransomware Prevention, Reporting

On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had released an advisory on the sanctions risks associated with carrying out ransomware payments and the “proactive” steps firms may take to address these types of risks. This… Read More

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