US sanctions Russia's largest darknet market and crypto exchange Garantex
The sanctions were part of an international effort aimed at “[disrupting the] proliferation of malicious cybercrime services, dangerous drugs and other illegal offerings.” The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced it will impose sanctions on darknet market Hydra and virtual currency exchange Garantex.In a Tuesday announcement, the Treasury Department said it had worked with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and Homeland....
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With sanctions cutting off Russia from global finances, Moscow’s motivation to establish a domestic market infrastructure for digital assets grows, a top official at the Russian finance ministry has noted. The comment comes as Russians are losing access to foreign crypto platforms.
Russia Recognizes Need for Local Crypto Assets Market
Amid expanding international sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been turning its attention to cryptocurrencies while concerns in the West are growing that the country may use them to circumvent financial restrictions. The....
It has been argued that Russia may avoid Western sanctions for invading Ukraine by using cryptocurrencies. However, is it viable? The small scale of the cryptocurrency market restricts Russia’s capacity to use cryptocurrencies to bypass international sanctions, according to credit rating agency Moody’s. Analysts predict that sanctions will prompt the Russian Federation to create alternatives to […]
The U.S. Treasury secretary emphasized the department’s crypto monitoring efforts at a House Financial Services Committee hearing Wednesday. United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday that her department is not seeing significant use of cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions placed on Russian oligarchs and government agencies. Yellen was asked repeatedly about digital asset security at the committee’s annual hearing on the state of the international financial system.“We are aware of the possibility clearly that crypto could be used....
The Monetary Authority of Singapore says crypto exchanges in the country must comply with financial sanctions against Russia. The Monetary Exchange of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank and financial regulator, reminded all authorized cryptocurrency exchanges in the country to comply with financial sanctions in place toward Russia. This statement comes after research that revealed millions in crypto donations raised by pro-Russia groups in support of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and increased sanctions on Russia from financial authorities around the world.Singapore’s decision....
The European Union is extending the scope of sanctions introduced in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the latest agreement between member states specifically mentioning crypto assets. Russian oligarchs, senators and Belarusian banks have been targeted. Europe’s Sanctions Classify Crypto Assets as Securities to Close Loopholes for Russia On Wednesday, the European Commission welcomed a new agreement between the 27 members of the European Union to amend the bloc’s regulations imposing sanctions on Russia — for its military assault on Ukraine —....