sanctions

According to Jinshi, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against a Rwandan gold refinery and a network facilitating the trade of conflict minerals.

According to The Wall Street Journal, blockchain public chain data analysis shows that Iranian entities have completed over $3.84 billion in transactions through the cryptocurrency exchange CoinEx to evade U.S. economic sanctions.Investigators have traced funds associated with two digital wallets controlled by the Central Bank of Iran, which are linked to the $1.5 billion stolen by North Korean hackers from the Bybit exchange. After flowing through a complex multi-layer transaction path, the related funds ultimately entered CoinEx, making it one of the core channels for Iran to bypass the sanctions system using cryptocurrency.

According to Jinshi reports, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that the sanctions during the Biden administration have been extended, and new sanctions measures have been introduced. In addition, the United States is selling weapons to Europe for use in Ukraine.

Trump stated that the upcoming U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding requires the immediate restoration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without charging tolls, and gradually granting sanctions exemptions based on Iran's compliance. The agreement aims to extend the ceasefire for 60 days, covering Lebanon, and advance nuclear negotiations during this period.Reports indicate that the U.S. and Iran have reached an agreement on the text of the agreement, but it still requires final approval. The memorandum includes a framework for addressing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile issue, with Iran committing not to seek nuclear weapons; related nuclear arrangements still need to be implemented through subsequent, more detailed agreements.Additionally, the agreement requires the Strait of Hormuz to restore pre-war shipping levels within 30 days. In exchange, the U.S. will lift relevant blockade measures and allow Iran to resume oil exports within a certain timeframe. If Iran continues to comply and demonstrates "good faith" in subsequent negotiations, the scope of sanctions exemptions will be further expanded.

According to Bits.media, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stated that the EU plans to restrict 11 cryptocurrency platforms in the 21st round of sanctions, claiming that these platforms assist Russian authorities and businesses in evading international sanctions. The new measures will also tighten the ban on providing cryptocurrency-related services to third countries, expand the sanctions list, and prohibit transactions with these 11 cryptocurrency platforms, although the names of the platforms have not been disclosed.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the new sanctions aim to increase pressure on the structures that help Russia maintain international financial channels. In addition, the new sanctions will involve about 90 Russian banks, of which 31 may face a complete trading ban. The EU has already imposed sanctions on cryptocurrency transfer and exchange service providers registered in Russia in the 20th round of sanctions, which took effect on May 24.

Alex Thorn, the Research Director at Galaxy, stated that the UK's decision to include the entire HTX on the sanctions list is controversial, as there are still a large number of legitimate users on the platform. He also pointed out that there are significant differences in the standards and timing of asset freezes among different stablecoin issuers, and suggested paying attention to the potential impact of stablecoin freeze mechanisms on user assets.

British teenager Alexander Browder stated that he has been placed on a sanctions list by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and banned from entering the country for writing a report exposing a cryptocurrency money laundering network supported by Russia.The report indicates that countries such as Russia, Iran, and North Korea launder approximately $350 billion, with a ruble stablecoin named A7A5 being one of the main issues facing Western anti-money laundering efforts. The UK Foreign Office stated that Russia uses tokens like A7A5 to evade Western sanctions and fund its military. The UK government imposed sanctions on individuals related to this network in May, which transferred over $90 billion last year. Alexander Browder expressed pride in being the first high school student globally to be sanctioned by an authoritarian regime for exposing corruption.

The cryptocurrency project World Liberty Financial (WLFI), supported by the Trump family, stated that in light of recent updates to sanctions measures, WLFI maintains a risk-based sanctions compliance control mechanism to support legal and regulatory obligations applicable within relevant jurisdictions. Transactions involving sanctioned individuals, entities, or related wallet addresses may face enhanced scrutiny, denial, restrictions, or other appropriate compliance measures.Users should ensure that the source of funds and the original wallet address are not related to sanctioned individuals or prohibited activities when transferring digital assets. If transactions or accounts are affected during the compliance review process, its support team will assist users in taking subsequent steps.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it has added Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex, as well as three Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex, to its sanctions list, and imposed sanctions on Nobitex's chairman and co-founder Amir Hossein Rad, current CEO Seyed Ali Khoee, and several co-founders and executives.The U.S. Treasury accused Nobitex of processing over 50% of Iran's cryptocurrency inflows in 2025 and providing support for transactions related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), ransomware organizations, and sanction evasion activities. It also assisted the Central Bank of Iran in obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in stablecoin funding. U.S. officials stated that after U.S. military actions against Iran, Nobitex helped transfer and protect the assets of the Iranian regime.In addition, the Treasury stated that Iran's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange Wallex, as well as Bitpin and Ramzinex, were also found to have links to transactions related to the IRGC. Among them, Wallex received about 12% of Iran's cryptocurrency inflows in 2025, Bitpin accounted for about 10%, while Ramzinex, established in 2018, has processed over $2.45 billion in transactions.This action is part of the Trump administration's "Economic Fury" strategy to exert maximum pressure on Iran. The U.S. Treasury stated that it will continue to combat Iran's use of digital assets for terrorist financing and sanction evasion and reserves the right to impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions and companies that assist Iran's illegal trade.

The U.S. Treasury Department has added several individuals and entities to the latest sanctions list, stating that the related network is suspected of procuring U.S. goods for sanctioned Iranian entities.

According to The Block, the United States has seized approximately $1 billion in cryptocurrency assets from Iran, nearly double the government's previous estimate. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Basset stated on Friday at the 2026 Reagan National Economic Forum that the U.S. believes Iran is stealing about $400 million to $500 million per month by evading sanctions. "I believe we have seized about $1 billion of their cryptocurrency," he said. "We have directly confiscated their wallets. Some of them may be inputting information right now, but they may not realize that their wallets have already been confiscated." On April 29, Basset stated that the U.S. had seized "nearly $500 million" in Iranian cryptocurrency assets.

According to a report by The Information, the prediction market Polymarket is facing increased regulatory and compliance pressure, and the platform is pushing traders to undergo identity verification (KYC) to reduce potential legal and compliance risks.The report states that although Polymarket's platform rules do not allow such activities in certain regions, some users are still participating in market trading through automated trading bots and other means, creating gray usage paths in areas like Russia. Some developers are even using tools like Telegram to organize trading traffic and expand the user base. As the platform grows and regulatory scrutiny increases, Polymarket is being forced to seek a balance between decentralized prediction markets and compliance requirements to address potential sanctions and legal risks.

According to CoinDesk, the UK has imposed sanctions on 18 entities and individuals accused of assisting Russia in evading Western restrictions and funding its war in Ukraine, including the cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global S.A. (operator of HTX) and the stablecoin issuer Open Joint Stock Company "Virtual Asset Issuer."This is the first time the UK has applied Regulation 17A, which targets sanctioned banks, to cryptocurrency exchanges, requiring UK financial institutions and cryptocurrency service providers to freeze relevant funds, track on-chain transactions, and not maintain agency relationships or process payments related to sanctioned entities. The sanctions primarily target the A7 payment network.According to the official announcement from Huobi HTX, the sanctioned "Huobi Global S.A." and the online Huobi HTX exchange are independent entities, and this sanction will not affect the online Huobi HTX exchange. Currently, Huobi HTX's global operations are normal, and user funds are safe and secure.

According to Jinshi reports, the latest sanctions imposed by the UK on Russia target the cryptocurrency networks used to evade UK sanctions.

The WSJ reported that Binance is accused of processing approximately $850 million in transactions related to financial networks associated with Iranian sanctions over two years, ultimately flowing to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran. In response, Binance CEO Richard Teng posted on the X platform denying the related reports, stating that the reports are "completely inaccurate," emphasizing that Binance does not allow sanctioned entities to trade, and indicating that the suspicious activities occurred before the involved entities were sanctioned by the U.S.The report mentioned that the key figure is Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani, whose related companies and associated accounts are alleged to have operated through the same device, forming a secret payment network on the Binance platform. The report also stated that Binance's internal compliance system had identified abnormal access from Tehran by the end of 2024, triggering multiple risk control alerts, but the related accounts were not closed in a timely manner. The WSJ further pointed out that the Central Bank of Iran and related entities also conducted fund flows through Binance between 2024 and 2025, including approximately $107 million and other cross-border cryptocurrency transactions.Binance reiterated that its compliance system is "industry-leading" and emphasized that it has continued to strengthen its risk control mechanisms after pleading guilty and paying a $4.3 billion settlement in 2023. Additionally, Binance has filed a defamation lawsuit against the WSJ regarding the related reports and denied that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating it on this matter.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced new regulations aimed at establishing Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and sanctions compliance standards for stablecoin issuers under its supervision. According to the requirements of the GENIUS Act, U.S. federal banking regulators must develop a regulatory framework for stablecoin issuers.Previously, the FDIC proposed two rules concerning the process for bank subsidiaries to apply to become stablecoin issuers, as well as capital, liquidity, and risk management requirements. The latest proposal further requires stablecoin issuers to comply with anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), economic sanctions, and related reporting obligations, including those established by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, the FDIC plans to establish a supervisory and enforcement mechanism for AML/CFT programs. The proposal will be open for a 60-day public comment period after its publication in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against two money laundering networks associated with the Sinaloa drug cartel, involving more than a dozen individuals and entities. One of the networks is accused of converting cash from the sale of fentanyl and other drugs into cryptocurrency and transferring it to high-ranking members of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico.OFAC stated that the network laundered money through cash collection within the United States, cryptocurrency transfers, and Mexican brokers associated with the "Los Chapitos" faction. "Los Chapitos" is controlled by Ivan and Alfredo Guzman Salazar, the sons of "Shorty" Guzman. Sanctioned individuals include Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles, who is suspected of being responsible for the money laundering network, and Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas, another leader of a drug trafficking and money laundering organization.OFAC noted that the organization collects large amounts of cash in the United States, exchanges it for cryptocurrency, and sends it back to Mexico. Under the sanctions, the assets of the relevant individuals and entities within the United States will be frozen, and U.S. citizens