Sanctions News

Binance filed a lawsuit after the Wall Street Journal reported a Justice Department probe into Iran’s alleged use of the exchange to avoid sanctions.

Crypto exchange Bithumb risks a partial business suspension for negligence around money laundering and customer verification practices, according to local media reports.

The crypto exchange responded to a Senate inquiry over sanctions by claiming that “no Binance account transacted directly with an Iran-based entity.“

Binance rejected the allegations, saying it flags suspicious activity, enforces strict compliance procedures and does not permit Iranian users on the platform.

Two major news outlets published similar reports on Monday claiming that Binance had fired or suspended employees involved in an investigation into crypto going to Iranian entities.

Binance doubled down on its compliance credentials in a blog post after a report published earlier this month accused it of sanction violations.

Elliptic says that despite increased regulatory pressure, a handful of crypto exchanges continue to serve sanctioned Russian entities.

Stablecoin ecosystem A7A5 has faced accusations of sanctions evasion and, according to some analysts, is creating an alternative, sanctions-free financial network.

Sanctions evasion networks, guarantee marketplaces, and large-scale money laundering schemes dominated illicit stablecoin use, says TRM Labs.

Binance said an internal review with external counsel found no sanctions violations and that it continues to meet its regulatory obligations under monitoring and oversight.

The EU plans to ban crypto transactions with Russia by shutting down all related channels, but analysts question whether the measure is fully enforceable.

The US Treasury sanctioned two UK-registered crypto exchanges tied to Iran, in OFAC’s first move against digital asset platforms under Iran sanctions.

Elliptic said the ruble-backed A7A5 token functioned as a bridge into USDT markets before sanctions and exchange controls curbed its growth.

The dual life of stablecoins: A lifeline for citizens and a tool for sanctioned entities involved in Venezuela and Iran's economic crises.

The Global Sanctions Inflation Index estimated there were just under 80,000 total sanctioned entities and persons globally as of May 2025.